prodigious

adjective

pro·di·gious prə-ˈdi-jəs

Synonyms of prodigious next

: causing amazement or wonder

: extraordinary in bulk, quantity, or degree : enormous

: resembling or befitting a prodigy : strange, unusual

obsolete : being an omen : portentous

prodigiously adverb

prodigiousness noun

Did you know?

Prodigious, monstrous, tremendous, and stupendous all mean extremely impressive. Prodigious suggests marvelousness exceeding belief, usually in something that is felt as going far beyond a previous maximum of goodness, greatness, intensity, or size ("acrobats performing prodigious aerial feats"). Monstrous implies a departure from the normal in size, form, or character ("a monstrous billboard"); it can also suggest that someone or something is ugly, cruel, or vicious ("a monstrous criminal"; "a monstrous crime"). Tremendous and stupendous both imply a power, the former to terrify or awe ("the singer has tremendous talent"), the latter to stun or astound ("the young cast gave a stupendous performance"). Prodigious and the related noun prodigy derive from the Latin prodigium, meaning "omen" or "monster"; at one time, both words were used in English to refer to portents, or omens, but these senses are now considered obsolete.

Choose the Right Synonym for prodigious

monstrous, prodigious, tremendous, stupendous mean extremely impressive.

monstrous implies a departure from the normal (as in size, form, or character) and often carries suggestions of deformity, ugliness, or fabulousness.

the monstrous waste of the project

prodigious suggests a marvelousness exceeding belief, usually in something felt as going far beyond a previous maximum (as of goodness, greatness, intensity, or size).

made a prodigious effort and rolled the stone aside

tremendous may imply a power to terrify or inspire awe.

the tremendous roar of the cataract

stupendous implies a power to stun or astound, usually because of size, numbers, complexity, or greatness beyond description.

a stupendous volcanic eruption

Examples of prodigious in a Sentence

Graceful afield and afoot in his youth, he bulked into a prodigious slugger in his final years. —

Tom Verducci, Sports Illustrated, 28 July 2003

She had what was known in those days as a hollow leg, meaning she was able to drink prodigious amounts of liquor without getting drunk, or so she thought. —

Vanity Fair, July 2000

… Isaac [Newton] was allowed to resume at Grantham and go on to Cambridge, where … he was to remain for nearly thirty-five secluded, prodigious years. —

John Updike, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 1998

stage magicians performing prodigious feats for rapt audiences a prodigious supply of canned food kept in the basement for emergencies

Recent Examples on the Web

These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Rufus Wainwright will take audiences through 70 songs from his prodigious catalog across three nights at the Wallis in Beverly Hills. —

Defne Karabatur, Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2024 Throughout the regular season, prodigious displays of power provided the Yankees with a false sense of security while downplaying noticeable flaws in baserunning and defense. —

Wayne G. McDonnell, Jr., Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024 Tucked away on the ground floor of the foundation’s prodigious 12-story atrium on East 43rd Street, the gallery puts forth socially engaged shows that reflect the programmatic priorities of the Ford Foundation, a progressive leader in global philanthropy. —

Najha Zigbi-Johnson, ARTnews.com, 29 July 2024 Tracking 5,000 private companies annually is a prodigious task, but one that evolved almost accidentally. —

David Bloom, Forbes, 18 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prodigious