Wastrel: meaning, definitions and examples

Someone who wastes resources or time irresponsibly, often showing little care for the consequences. The term is often negatively connoted.

• He's known in the village as a wastrel, always wasting his money on frivolous things.
• She was tired of living with a wastrel who couldn't hold onto a job.

Someone who is very wasteful, especially in terms of spending money, often with an implication of moral or ethical disregard. The term is also negatively biased.

• His profligate spending habits eventually led to his financial ruin.
• She was known for her profligate use of company resources.

Someone who wastes money, resources, or opportunities thoughtlessly or foolishly. Often used when emphasizing the loss of potential value. This term carries negative connotations.

• As a squanderer, he failed to make use of the ample opportunities presented to him.
• She was upset with her brother, thinking of him as a squanderer of their inheritance.

Someone who spends money or resources freely and recklessly, often used in more formal or literary contexts. This term often carries a negative connotation involving wastefulness.

• The prodigal son returned home, broke and repentant.
• Her prodigal lifestyle left her with nothing but regrets.

A person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible way. This term is often used in a negative sense.

• Being a spendthrift, he couldn't save any money despite his high salary.
• Her family labeled her a spendthrift because of her shopping sprees.