profligate Synonyms & Antonyms
Choose a meaning, then find a word that fits your sentence.
Profligate as an Adjective
Inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly.
Immoral; abandoned to vice.
Overthrown, ruined.
Profligate as a Noun
An abandoned person; one openly and shamelessly vicious; a dissolute person.
An overly wasteful or extravagant individual.
Profligate as a Verb
To drive away; to overcome.
Obsolete form of profligated (past participle of profligate): profligated: routed, overcome, driven away.
Word Forms & Grammar
profligate (comparative more profligate, superlative most profligate)
profligate (plural profligates)
profligate (third-person singular simple present profligates, present participle profligating, simple past and past participle profligated)
profligate
Words That Rhyme With Profligate
Origin of Profligate
The adjective is first attested in 1535, the verb in 1542; borrowed from Latin prōflīgātus, perfect passive participle of prōflīgō (“to strike down, cast down”) (see -ate (etymology 1, 2 an 3) and pro-), from prō- (“forward”) + flīgō (“to strike, dash”) + -ō (1st conjugation compound verb-forming suffix). Common participial usage of the adjective up until Early Modern English.
Profligate at a Glance
| Part of speech | adjective, noun, verb |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈpɹɒflɪɡət/ |
| Meaning | Inclined to waste resources or behave extravagantly |
| Plural | profligates |
| Comparative / superlative | more profligate, most profligate |
| Verb forms | profligates, profligating, profligated |
Common Questions About Profligate
Is profligate an adjective or a noun?
Profligate is mainly used as an adjective, but it can also be used as a noun and a verb.
What is the plural of profligate?
The plural of profligate is profligates.
What is the past tense of profligate?
The past tense of profligate is profligated. The present participle is profligating.
What are the comparative and superlative forms of profligate?
The comparative form is more profligate and the superlative form is most profligate.