Asotia (ἀσωτία) means "reckless extravagance," "debauchery," or "dissipation" — a life of riotous, wasteful excess with no concern for future consequences. The word comes from alpha-privative and sozo (to save), literally "unsavable" or "abandoned to ruin." It appears in Ephesians 5:18, Titus 1:6, and 1 Peter 4:4 — always as a contrast to godly, Spirit-controlled living.
The word asotia is the elder brother's accusation against the prodigal: he "squandered his wealth in wild living" (Luke 15:13, where a related adverb asotos, G811, is used). Paul places asotia in direct contrast with being filled with the Spirit (Ephesians 5:18): "Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit." The comparison is profound — both drunkenness and Spirit-filling produce changed behavior, but one destroys and the other transforms. The human heart was designed to be filled with something — the question is what. Asotia fills a person with momentary sensation while draining them of dignity, wealth, and future. The Spirit fills a person with eternal life, purpose, and community. The gospel does not offer a list of prohibitions but a superior filling.