as in wasteful
given to spending money freely or foolishly
spendthrift consumers had amassed a mountain of debt on their credit cards
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in wastrel
someone who carelessly spends money
the spendthrift managed to blow all of his inheritance in a single year
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of spendthrift
The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
It would be accompanied by state audits into how spendthrift local governments overcharge for roads, school construction and parks.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
R29 Team, Refinery29, 10 Sep. 2025
The last generation’s spendthrifts have become this generation’s scolds, as controversies recur over the same parcels of land with new names in the old roles.
—Andrew Rice, Curbed, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for spendthrift
Adjective
That is all the more reason the state must get a better handle on its spendthrift ways.
—The Editorial Board, Oc Register, 13 Jan. 2026
It would be accompanied by state audits into how spendthrift local governments overcharge for roads, school construction and parks.
—Stephen Moore, Boston Herald, 19 Sep. 2025
Noun
Their spending habits were that of a spendthrift, and there was only one parent really making any income.
—R29 Team, Refinery29, 10 Sep. 2025
The last generation’s spendthrifts have become this generation’s scolds, as controversies recur over the same parcels of land with new names in the old roles.
—Andrew Rice, Curbed, 26 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for spendthrift
Recent Examples of Synonyms for spendthrift
Adjective
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The Democrats also largely take aim at how wasteful and ineffective the policy may be.—
STEPHEN GROVES,
Arkansas Online,
14 Feb. 2026
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The cost of changing to this dangerous policy will be an unnecessary, wasteful cost to Florida taxpayers.—
Letters to the Editor,
The Orlando Sentinel,
13 Feb. 2026
Noun
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He was raised on Chicago’s North Side by a wastrel father and a mother who struggled to put food on their table.—
Ron Grossman,
Chicago Tribune,
3 Aug. 2025
-
Ridley, traumatized by the cancer death of her mother and considered mostly a wastrel by those around her for pursuing a degree in the dread-inducing major of art history, knows a thing or two about the mythology behind these kindly rainbow-spewing creatures.—
Ryan Lattanzio,
IndieWire,
12 Mar. 2025
Noun
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Saudi Arabia is the world’s fifth-biggest military spender, with $64 billion earmarked for defense this year.—
Matthew Martin,
semafor.com,
6 Feb. 2026
-
But not all childless people are spenders.—
Medora Lee,
USA Today,
4 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Twenty-six James Bond films (the 25 Eon joints, plus the prodigal Never Say Never Again) are coming to Netflix this month.—
Bethy Squires,
Vulture,
2 Jan. 2026
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Secrets are revealed, prodigals return, intolerances surface and family bonds are tested.—
Greg Evans,
Deadline,
17 Apr. 2025
Noun
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Start with your biggest time waster and build from there.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
23 Jan. 2026
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For example, default settings for focus time added blocking of sites in the categories Shopping, Tabloids, and Time wasters.—
PCMAG,
PCMAG,
13 Jan. 2025
Noun
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In some ways, the game was set up for him, with Villa profligate but still regularly creating chances.—
Jacob Tanswell,
The Athletic,
18 Aug. 2024
-
Fed up with the profligate practice, dumpster divers like Ms. Sacks have started posting videos of their haul on TikTok in recent years as a way of shaming corporations and raising awareness of the wasteful behavior.—
Steven Kurutz,
New York Times,
21 Nov. 2022
Cite this Entry
“Spendthrift.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/spendthrift. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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