spendthrift
spendthrift Lexical Profile
spendthrift Game Scores & Validity
• noun
A person who spends money in an extravagant, irresponsible, and wasteful way.
"The wealthy heir was a notorious spendthrift who squandered his entire inheritance within five years."
• adjective
Extravagant, wasteful, and irresponsible in the spending of money or resources.
"His spendthrift habits eventually left the once-prosperous family business deeply in debt."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because the word contains 'thrift', learners often mistakenly assume a 'spendthrift' is someone who is frugal; in fact, it means the exact opposite—someone who spends their savings ('thrift') recklessly.
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 16th century as a verb-object compound from 'spend' and 'thrift' (used in its older sense of 'accumulated wealth or savings'), literally meaning one who squanders their hard-earned prosperity.