Prodigal vs. Spendthrift: What's the Difference?

Rashly or wastefully extravagant

One who spends money recklessly or wastefully.

Giving or given in abundance; lavish or profuse

Wasteful or extravagant

One who is given to wasteful luxury or extravagance.

Improvident, profligate, or wasteful.

Wastefully extravagant.

Extravagant or lavish.

Yielding profusely, lavish.

Someone who spends money improvidently or wastefully.

Profuse, lavishly abundant.

(figuratively) Anything that distributes its attributes profusely, without restraint.

(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:

One who spends money profusely or improvidently; a prodigal; one who lavishes or wastes his estate. Also used figuratively.

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

Prodigal; extravagant; wasteful.

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

Someone who spends money prodigally

A prodigal person; a spendthrift; a wastrel.

Recklessly wasteful;

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.

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

A recklessly extravagant consumer

Very generous;

Recklessly wasteful;

Marked by rash extravagance;