profligate
profligate — adjective
- profligatepositive
- more profligatecomparative
- most profligatesuperlative
1. using money, time, or materials without enough thought or care, so that they are
using money, time, or materials without enough thought or care, so that they are simply wasted and little good comes from them.
The committee criticised the former CEO for his profligate use of company money on private jets and luxury holidays.
After losing his job, Andrés finally admitted that his profligate spending on designer clothes had been a serious mistake.
collocation: profligate spending
The government's profligate waste of taxpayer money on unnecessary projects angered many voters across the country.
Sofia looked at her credit card bills and finally understood how profligate her weekend shopping trips had become.
Environmental groups blame the fashion industry's profligate use of fresh water for much of the damage to local rivers.
- wasteful
more common and less formal; simply means using too much without care
- extravagant
focuses on spending more than is necessary, often for luxury items
- lavish
suggests generous abundance; can be positive when describing hospitality
- reckless
more general; emphasises lack of concern about consequences
- frugal
careful with money and resources
- thrifty
using money and goods carefully and wisely
- economical
not spending more than necessary
文法句型
be profligate with [resources]
profligate in [activity]
用法筆記
Commonly appears before a noun describing a resource that is being wasted, such as 'spending', 'use', or 'waste'. Frequently used in formal criticism of institutions or governments.
常見錯誤
2. showing a complete lack of moral restraint, especially through excessive drinkin
showing a complete lack of moral restraint, especially through excessive drinking, casual sex, gambling, or other forms of self-indulgence that most people consider unacceptable.
The novel tells the story of a profligate prince who spends his nights drinking and gambling away the family fortune.
typical context: profligate prince / lifestyle / behaviour
Harper left her profligate lifestyle behind when she moved to a small village and began working on an organic farm.
In the 1920s, the city was famous for its profligate upper classes, who cared only about parties and pleasure.
Tendai's parents worried about the profligate company he kept — musicians and artists who drank heavily and avoided regular work.
- dissolute
more formal and literary; strong emphasis on immoral pleasure-seeking
- licentious
specifically about ignoring sexual moral rules
- debauched
implies corruption through excessive pleasure
- immoral
broader and more common; covers any violation of moral principles
- virtuous
having high moral standards
- upright
behaving in a morally correct way
- principled
acting according to strong moral beliefs
文法句型
profligate + noun (lifestyle/behaviour)
用法筆記
Usually describes behaviour, lifestyle, or periods in history. More morally judgmental than 'wasteful' and stronger than 'immoral'. Common in literary and historical contexts.
常見錯誤
profligate — noun
- profligatesingular
- profligatesplural
1. a person who spends money carelessly and wastefully, or who lives without moral
a person who spends money carelessly and wastefully, or who lives without moral restraint to a degree that most people find unacceptable.
The old duke disinherited his eldest son, calling him a profligate who would squander the family fortune within a year.
Dewi was a neighbourhood profligate — he bought a new car every six months and threw wildly expensive parties.
pattern: a [adjective] profligate
Historians describe the emperor as a profligate who emptied the national treasury on personal pleasures and grand building projects.
The newspaper called the former minister a profligate who had spent public money on luxury holidays and private parties.
- spendthrift
specifically about wasting money; less moral judgment
- waster
informal British English; someone who wastes money or time
- degenerate
stronger moral condemnation; suggests someone has become depraved
- miser
someone who hates spending money
- penny-pincher
informal; someone who tries hard to avoid spending money
文法句型
a profligate
a profligate who ...
用法筆記
This is a count noun — you can say 'a profligate' or 'profligates'. Usually carries strong disapproval. In modern usage, the 'wasteful spender' meaning is more common than the 'immoral person' meaning.