prodigal son; waster of public funds
Meanings
2 senses · 7 examplesnoun
prodigal son; person who wastes family fortune
neutralOriginally refers to young people who do not work properly and squander their family's wealth, now has extended usage.
That prodigal son spent all the savings his father worked so hard to save.
He loafs around all day, a typical prodigal son.
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Some Eight Banners nobles in the late Qing Dynasty were called prodigals by later generations.
Some officials embezzle public funds, they are simply wasters of national wealth.
The boss of this company is a prodigal who lost all the shareholders' investments.
noun
waster of collective/national property
informalExtended figurative usage applied to public sector waste.
Those officials who waste national resources are the society's wasters.
He blindly expanded the business and used up all the team's startup funds, what a waster.