prodigy

noun

prod·i·gy ˈprä-də-jē

plural prodigies

Synonyms of prodigy next

: a highly talented child or youth

: an extraordinary, marvelous, or unusual accomplishment, deed, or event

: something extraordinary or inexplicable

: a portentous event : omen

Did you know?

Is a prodigy a genius or a monster - or both? Nowadays, it's the talent that shines through, but back in the 15th century the word's meaning was more strongly influenced by that of its Latin ancestor, prodigium, meaning "omen" or "monster." Back then, a prodigy could be any strange or weird thing that might be an omen of things to come. Even in modern English, the word sometimes refers to an extraordinary deed or accomplishment. P.G. Wodehouse used that sense when he described how a character named Pongo Twistleton was "performing prodigies with the [billiard] cue."

Examples of prodigy in a Sentence

a new drug that is being hailed as the latest prodigy of the medical world

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.

Li Fong is a kung fu prodigy who's struggling to fit in after moving to New York City. —

Lynnette Nicholas, Parents, 6 Jan. 2025 And August is in good company: Pablo Picasso was a child prodigy. —

Susan Spencer, CBS News, 5 Jan. 2025 At most, his interest in entering an imaginary world may have been an expression of the intense feelings of alienation that came with being a child prodigy and, apparently, a young gay man. —

Andrea Long Chu, Vulture, 30 Dec. 2024 Originally airing on Fox from 2000 to 2006, the new episodes will feature the return of original cast members Frankie Muniz as Malcolm, a child prodigy, and Bryan Cranston and Jane Kaczmarek as his parents Hal and Lois. —

Marc Berman, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prodigy