adj. 1 wasteful, extravagant, spendthrift, lavish, excessive, profligate, squandering, immoderate, intemperate, wanton, improvident, reckless If the government were less prodigal, it would be possible to have a balanced budget 2 generous, bountiful, copious, profuse, bounteous, lavish, liberal, luxuriant, sumptuous, abundant, abounding, rich, plentiful, plenteous, superabundant, thriving, swarming, teeming He was prodigal of both compliments and criticism
n. 3 wastrel, spendthrift, profligate, squanderer, waster, big spender That prodigal went through his inheritance in less than a year