prodigal
Definitions
Spending money or resources recklessly and wastefully
挥霍的，浪费的
Giving or yielding something on a lavish scale
慷慨的，大量的
A person who spends money wastefully; a spendthrift
浪子，挥霍者
Root Breakdown
Root-derivedprod- (forth) + agere (drive) → prodigere ('drive forth, squander') + -al = one who drives their money forth, out the door. A prodigal person spends recklessly. The ag root appears as -ig-.
Root ag still carries 21 more wordsWhy It Means This
prodigal hides the ag root: prodigere meant 'to drive forth' — to drive your money right out the door. The phrase 'prodigal son' (from the Bible) made the word famous: a young man who squandered his fortune, then returned home. Note it means 'wasteful,' not 'lost/returning' — that's a common misreading.
Common Collocations
- 1.prodigal son浪子；败家子
- 2.prodigal spending挥霍无度
- 3.[prodigal with money]花钱大手大脚
- 4.prodigal lifestyle奢靡的生活方式
Example Sentences
- 1.
He was prodigal with his inheritance and soon went broke.
- 2.
The famous parable tells of the prodigal son's return.
Easily Confused
prodigal vs prodigy — They look alike but are unrelated. prodigal (from agere, drive forth) = wastefully extravagant. prodigy (from prodigium, an omen) = a young genius. A 'child prodigy' is gifted; a 'prodigal child' wastes money. Don't mix them up.