1
as in spendthrifts
someone who spends money freely or foolishly
a profligate who could not really afford the grand style he maintained at Monticello, Jefferson died deeply in debt
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in perverts
a person who has sunk below the normal moral standard
a drunken profligate, he was given to wretched excess in every aspect of his life
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Recent Examples of Synonyms for profligates
Noun
-
Nora Ephron for depressed perverts.—
Antonia Blyth,
Deadline,
16 Feb. 2026 -
Also, what many now interpret as Kubrick’s exposé of elite perverts was, in fact, mostly Schnitzler’s doing.—
Lane Brown,
Vulture,
17 Dec. 2025
Noun
-
In all vertebrates, the thymus degenerates very rapidly with age.—
Mallory Locklear,
Hartford Courant,
7 Mar. 2026
-
Ike Barinholtz may play degenerates well, but, off screen, the writer, comedian and star is something of a trivia savant.—
Lacey Rose,
HollywoodReporter,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Chief among the outside spenders are generically named political action committees launched by pro-Israel, pro-artificial intelligence development, pro-cryptocurrency and pro-cloud data center interests.—
Dan Petrella,
Chicago Tribune,
15 Mar. 2026
-
Arizona State isn’t likely to be one of the top spenders in the Big 12 and needs a coach who can do more with less.—
CJ Moore,
New York Times,
13 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Include categories for deep work, admin tasks, communication, and time wasters.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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.
Cite this Entry
“Profligates.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/profligates. Accessed 20 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
