prodigal son/daughter

noun

: a son/daughter who leaves his or her parents to do things that they do not approve of but then feels sorry and returns home
—often used figuratively
He left the company several years ago, but now the prodigal son has returned.

Examples of prodigal son/daughter in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In regular families, a prodigal son would have to reach out himself to try and arrange private time with his alienated father to hash out their differences. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 15 July 2025 Politico’s Kimberly Leonard likened the moment to the parable of the prodigal son in the Bible. — W. James Antle Iii, The Washington Examiner, 2 July 2025 What happens when a prodigal son falls under the influence of his older, American wife? — Air Mail, 17 May 2025 Then Ananya’s prodigal son, Vikram, arrives home unexpectedly after leaving the restaurant and his family years before, sparking fury and jealousy from his hard-working sister Vaidehi. — Pamela Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 16 May 2025 Everyone can't stop talking about Blue Ivy Carter—Beyoncé and Jay-Z's prodigal daughter—after the 13-year-old took to the stage alongside her mom at the launch of her Cowboy Carter tour this week. — Lydia Patrick, MSNBC Newsweek, 1 May 2025 Then there’s Mozzie Fishman, keeper of Aboriginal history and tradition, and Will Phantom, a prodigal son who violently opposes the town’s new mine. — Bekah Waalkes, The Atlantic, 1 May 2025 Far from a prodigal son, he’s never resisted or railed against it. — Hannah Edgar, Chicago Tribune, 15 Apr. 2025 Newport ’65 was really a Thanksgiving dinner gone amok, in which the prodigal son and the father and several uncles and others are fighting. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 27 Mar. 2025

Browse Nearby Words

prodigal son
prodigal son/daughter
prodigious
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Cite this Entry

“Prodigal son/daughter.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prodigal%20son%2Fdaughter. Accessed 7 Jul. 2026.

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