Profligate
Vegas weekends, certain crypto cycles, and anyone who burns trust for short thrills earn this old judgment word.
Learn This WordMeaning
Recklessly extravagant or wasteful, especially with money or resources; morally dissolute.
Memory trick
PRO-FLIGATE: flig- (strike) your resources until they fall, reckless waste.
Examples
Profligate spending caught up with the company when revenue slowed.
He was accused of profligate use of contractor budgets.
The novel’s profligate protagonist burns through trust and cash.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Etymology
From Latin profligare "to strike down, ruin," from pro- "forward" + fligere "to strike."
Usage Notes
Strong word, often judgmental. Can describe spending or moral recklessness.
Real-life contexts
Use in finance: "Profligate hiring doesn’t scale."
Use in critique: "That’s profligate with user attention."
Use carefully: "Profligate" can sound harsh, use when warranted.
Common Mistakes
Profligate is not a mild synonym for “generous.” It implies wastefulness or excess.
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Part of Speech
adjective
Difficulty
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