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.

Jones, who died on Sunday night at 91 in Los Angeles, had already been a formidable impresario in music and TV for decades before pairing up with Jackson, a former child prodigy struggling with his pivot into adulthood. —

Andrew R. Chow, TIME, 4 Nov. 2024 On, about jazz legend Clark Terry and his mentorship of a blind piano prodigy. —

Jennifer Frederick, The Hollywood Reporter, 4 Nov. 2024 The drama stars newcomer Tessa Van den Broeck as Julie, a young and promising tennis player who faces a dilemma when her prominent coach is suspended after the suicide of a former prodigy. —

Elsa Keslassy, Variety, 7 Oct. 2024 From eager Disney Channel prodigy to unruly pop outlaw, freewheeling genre experimenter and mature modern hitmaker, Cyrus’ knack for earnest reinvention has sustained her through all the peaks and valleys of her career. —

Hannah Dailey, Billboard, 24 Sep. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prodigy