profligate

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

His son David speculated that his dad’s mixed feelings about his fast-food career stemmed from a mentality common among children of the Depression: “Excess bothered them. It almost seemed profligate and unnecessary,” he explained.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026

Hansi Flick's side created several more clear chances in an entertaining clash but the woodwork and some profligate finishing stopped them from securing a far bigger victory.

From Barron's • Jan. 31, 2026

More broadly, what investors must keep in mind is that Japan’s high debt-to-GDP ratio is largely the result of decades of stagnant growth and deflation, not profligate spending.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 23, 2025

But her husband, President Emmanuel Macron, has been criticised for his own profligate spending.

From BBC • Sep. 15, 2024

He bought four pair—a profligate quantity of socks—and not only were they not gray, no two pair were even the same color.

From "Strange the Dreamer" by Laini Taylor