prodigy

noun

prod·​i·​gy ˈprä-də-jē 

plural prodigies

1

a

: a highly talented child or youth

b

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

2

a

: something extraordinary or inexplicable

b

: 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."

Synonyms

• caution
• flash
• marvel
• miracle
• phenomenon
• portent
• sensation
• splendor
• wonder

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

The same year, Kristine published a memoir about Jacob — who is on the autism spectrum and was considered a science and math prodigy — titled The Spark: A Mother’s Story of Nurturing, Genius, and Autism. —Lynsey Eidell, People.com, 19 Mar. 2025

Reinaldo Marcus Green, whose formative tale of the rise of Serena and Venus Williams won the Best Actor Oscar for Will Smith with King Richard, will tackle the rise of Tiger Woods from child prodigy to one of the greatest athletes golf has ever produced. —Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 12 Mar. 2025

The 18-year-old prodigy took the track for the first time at the EchoPark Automotive Grand Prix held at the Circuit of The Americas. —Dan Perry, Newsweek, 2 Mar. 2025

The movie opens with one of these prodigies — a young man named Fernando (Isaac Hernández) — risking his life to cross the border. —Peter Debruge, Variety, 15 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin prodigium omen, monster, from pro-, prod- + -igium (akin to aio I say) — more at adage

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

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Kids Definition

prodigy

noun

prod·​i·​gy ˈpräd-ə-jē 

plural prodigies

1

: an amazing event or action : wonder

2

: an unusually talented child