prodigal son/daughter

noun

: a son/daughter who leaves his or her parents to do things that they do not approve of but then feels sorry and returns home
—often used figuratively
He left the company several years ago, but now the prodigal son has returned.

Examples of prodigal son/daughter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
That day, Cox donned a Braves uniform and seemed like nothing so much as a prodigal son come home. — Mark Bradley For The Ajc, AJC.com, 9 May 2026 Directed by Juan Pablo Arias Munoz, a prodigal daughter rejoins her family at their farm during a difficult time, as her ailing father faces both a terminal diagnosis and mounting pressure from rivals. — Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 1 May 2026 Author Ins Choi, who once played the role of the prodigal son, has matured into the part of Appa, the patriarch who left Korea with his wife, Umma (Esther Chung), to start a new life in Canada. — Theater Critic, Los Angeles Times, 27 Mar. 2026 The daughter is caught between worlds and the prodigal son faces the same challenge his father did, how to provide for his family. — R. Daniel Foster, Forbes.com, 26 Mar. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prodigal son/daughter

Browse Nearby Words

prodigal son
prodigal son/daughter
prodigious
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Cite this Entry

“Prodigal son/daughter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prodigal%20son%2Fdaughter. Accessed 5 Aug. 2026.

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