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Prodigal vs. Prodigious: What's the Difference?

Prodigal and Prodigious Definitions

Prodigal

Rashly or wastefully extravagant
Prodigal expenditures on unneeded weaponry.
A prodigal nephew who squandered his inheritance.

Prodigious

Impressively great in size, force, or extent; enormous
A prodigious storm.

Prodigal

Giving or given in abundance; lavish or profuse
"the infinite number of organic beings with which the sea of the tropics, so prodigal of life, teems" (Charles Darwin).

Prodigious

Extraordinary; marvelous
A prodigious talent.

Prodigal

One who is given to wasteful luxury or extravagance.
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Prodigious

(Obsolete) Portentous; ominous.

Prodigal

Wastefully extravagant.
He found himself guilty of prodigal spending during the holidays.
The prodigal son spent his share of his inheritance until he was destitute.

Prodigious

Very big in size or quantity; colossal, gigantic, huge.

Prodigal

Yielding profusely, lavish.
She was a merry person, glad and prodigal of smiles.
How can he be so prodigal with money on such a tight budget?

Prodigious

Extraordinarily amazing or exciting.
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Prodigal

Profuse, lavishly abundant.

Prodigious

Freakish; monstrous.

Prodigal

(by allusion to the New Testament story commonly called "The Parable of the Prodigal Son", [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Luke+15:11–32 Luke 15:11–32]) Behaving as a prodigal son:

Prodigious

(obsolete) Ominous, portentous.

Prodigal

Having (selfishly) abandoned a person, group, or ideal.

Prodigious

Of the nature of a prodigy; marvelous; wonderful; portentous.
It is prodigious to have thunder in a clear sky.

Prodigal

Returning or having returned, especially repentantly, after such an abandonment.

Prodigious

Extraordinary in bulk, extent, quantity, or degree; very great; vast; huge; immense; as, a prodigious mountain; a prodigious creature; a prodigious blunder.

Prodigal

A prodigal person; a spendthrift; a wastrel.

Prodigious

So great in size or force or extent as to elicit awe;
Colossal crumbling ruins of an ancient temple
Has a colossal nerve
A prodigious storm
A stupendous field of grass
Stupendous demand

Prodigal

Given to extravagant expenditure; expending money or other things without necessity; recklessly or viciously profuse; lavish; wasteful; not frugal or economical; as, a prodigal man; the prodigal son; prodigal giving; prodigal expenses.
In fighting fields [patriots] were prodigal of blood.

Prodigious

Of momentous or ominous significance;
Such a portentous...monster raised all my curiosity
A prodigious vision

Prodigal

One who expends money extravagantly, viciously, or without necessity; one that is profuse or lavish in any expenditure; a waster; a spendthrift.

Prodigious

Far beyond what is usual in magnitude or degree;
A night of exceeding darkness
An exceptional memory
Olympian efforts to save the city from bankruptcy
The young Mozart's prodigious talents

Prodigal

A recklessly extravagant consumer

Prodigal

Very generous;
Distributed gifts with a lavish hand
The critics were lavish in their praise
A munificent gift
His father gave him a half-dollar and his mother a quarter and he thought them munificent
Prodigal praise
Unsparing generosity
His unstinted devotion
Called for unstinting aid to Britain

Prodigal

Recklessly wasteful;
Prodigal in their expenditures

Prodigal

Marked by rash extravagance;
Led a prodigal life

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