Spendthrift

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "Spendthrift" is correct and usable in written English. You can use it to describe someone who spends money extravagantly or wastefully. An example: "Despite his wealthy background, he was known as a spendthrift, often squandering his inheritance on lavish parties." Alternative expressions include "profligate" and "wasteful."

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

When she took over from the spendthrift Joseph Estrada, at the beginning of last year, she found the public finances in disarray.

The Economist

Yet it was his late father Andreas, a spendthrift Pasok premier, who sowed the seeds of Greece's crisis with a borrowing spree in the 1980s.

The Economist

But despite the wailing and gnashing of teeth, not least among Social Democratic left-wingers, it does look like a notable first step in the right direction.For one thing, the new finance minister, Hans Eichel, could not have made a better start at clearing up the mess left by his spendthrift, leftist predecessor, Oskar Lafontaine, who stomped off the job in March.

The Economist

A spendthrift dandy in top hat and spats, Whalen was an ambitious beneficiary of the machine politics of Tammany Hall and the fair's leading visionary.

The Economist

His money helped: Miss Necker's marriage to the Baron de Staël, a spendthrift Swedish aristocrat with an eye on the main chance, ensured her position at court as the wife of the Swedish ambassador.

The Economist

"They are spending more than twice the money to reach half of the audience we achieve," says Clive Dickens of Absolute Radio, a commercial station that plays roughly the same kind of music.And 6 Music, which was slated for closure this week, is not the most spendthrift of the lot.

The Economist

Correction Dear Henry ReprintsHe was also a corsair, a slaver, a military adventurer and a spendthrift, mostly with other people's money.

The Economist

In an excellent translation by Allan Blunden, it is now available in English too.Fallada was an unattractive character: a heavy drinker and a morphine addict, he was self-centred, spendthrift and quarrelsome.

The Economist

TODAY'S "Oh, really?" moment comes courtesy of Jack Ewing at Economix:Modern Germans may still be harvesting significant economic benefits from extravagant opera houses built by spendthrift Baroque princes, according to a study published this month by the Ifo Institute for Economic Research in Munich.

The Economist

The Greek crisis led to an ugly spate of thinly veiled racism against lazy and spendthrift Mediterranean types in the media.

The Guardian - Opinion

There was wide agreement among guests that Washington (while in many respects a spendthrift fount of tyranny) should bankroll Floridians' flood insurance.Spending on you: waste.

The Economist

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Employ the noun form when identifying a person who wastefully squanders their inheritance or earnings.

Common error

Avoid the mistake of thinking "Spendthrift" implies someone who is 'thrifty' or careful with money. The 'thrift' in the word refers to the savings that are being 'spent' or pushed away. If you want to describe someone who saves money, use "frugal" or "thrifty" instead.

Linguistic Context

The word "Spendthrift" functions as both a noun (a person who spends wastefully) and an adjective (wasteful or extravagant). In the examples provided by Ludwig, it frequently modifies nouns like 'government', 'consumers' and 'politicians', serving as a critical descriptor of fiscal behavior.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

85%

Formal & Business

10%

Reference

3%

Less common in

Science

1%

Wiki

0.5%

Social Media

0.5%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "Spendthrift" is a versatile and powerful term used to describe financial irresponsibility. Ludwig AI demonstrates that its most frequent application occurs within high-quality news sources, particularly in the context of political and economic criticism. Whether used as a noun to identify a wasteful individual or as an adjective to describe 'improvident' policies, the word carries a distinct negative connotation. It is essential for writers to distinguish it from its antonym 'thrifty' and to use it when a critical, sophisticated tone is required. Alternatives like "profligate" or "prodigal" can be used to vary the intensity of the critique, but "Spendthrift" remains the standard for describing a lack of fiscal discipline.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

profligate

Highly formal and implies a reckless or shamelessly immoral waste of resources

prodigal

Suggests wastefulness on a grand scale, often carrying a biblical or literary connotation

extravagant

Focuses on spending that exceeds what is necessary or reasonable without necessarily implying recklessness

improvident

Emphasizes a lack of foresight and failure to save for the future

wasteful

A simpler and more direct descriptor for inefficient use of money or materials

thriftless

The literal opposite of being thrifty, focusing on the absence of saving habits

squanderer

Focuses on the person as an active agent of wasting opportunities or money

lavish

Describes a style of spending that is generous to the point of excess

dissipated

Suggests that wealth is being wasted specifically on physical pleasures or vice

big spender

An informal and often less judgmental way to describe someone who spends a lot

FAQs

How to use spendthrift in a sentence?

You can use it as an adjective, for example: "The council was criticized for its "Spendthrift" policies." It also works as a noun: "He was a notorious "Spendthrift" who lost everything in a year."

What can I say instead of spendthrift?

Depending on the tone, you can use synonyms like "profligate" for a formal tone, "wasteful" for a general context, or "extravagant" if the focus is on luxury.

Is spendthrift an insult?

Generally, yes. Calling someone a "Spendthrift" implies they are irresponsible, reckless or lacking self-control regarding their finances.

What is the difference between spendthrift and profligate?

While both mean wasteful, "profligate" is more intense and often implies a moral failing or complete lack of restraint, whereas "Spendthrift" is most commonly associated with financial habits.