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.

Keys, a tennis prodigy, was hoping to finally win a grand slam title and cement her place among the greats of women's tennis. —

Mansee Khurana, NPR, 25 Jan. 2025 Egan was a top assistant at Lower Merion under head coach Gregg Downer during Bryant’s junior and senior years, and first met the hoops prodigy on the courts of the local Jewish community center. —

Sam Farmer, Los Angeles Times, 24 Jan. 2025 Hudson was a prodigy who once disassembled his father’s old pump organ and rebuilt it. —

David Browne, Rolling Stone, 21 Jan. 2025 María was programmed by Alex’s late wife, robotics prodigy Sara, during her battle with terminal cancer. —

John Hopewell, Variety, 21 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for prodigy