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.

Alice Lucille McLeod was born in Detroit and was a child prodigy, playing the organ and classical piano at her home church of Mt. Olive Baptist. —

Colony Little, ARTnews.com, 7 Feb. 2025 Dédé excelled at the violin, and was considered a prodigy at an early age. —

Matt Bloom, NPR, 3 Feb. 2025 Caton has been singing since the age of two and grew up a child prodigy of gospel great, Timiney Figueroa. —

Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 30 Jan. 2025 Then there’s the wide receiving prodigy Jeremiah Smith who was tasked with replacing the shoes of first-round selection Marvin Harrison Jr. at just 19 years old. —

Kambui Bomani, Forbes, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for prodigy