1
2

Synonym Chooser

How is the word prodigious different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of prodigious are monstrous, stupendous, and tremendous. While all these words mean "extremely impressive," 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

When is monstrous a more appropriate choice than prodigious?

The meanings of monstrous and prodigious largely overlap; however, 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

When would stupendous be a good substitute for prodigious?

The words stupendous and prodigious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stupendous implies a power to stun or astound, usually because of size, numbers, complexity, or greatness beyond description.

a stupendous volcanic eruption

When might tremendous be a better fit than prodigious?

While the synonyms tremendous and prodigious are close in meaning, tremendous may imply a power to terrify or inspire awe.

the tremendous roar of the cataract

Examples Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of prodigious In city traffic, the Shelby Sport SUV demonstrates a refined level of throttle control to rein in the prodigious output, while the independent front suspension contributes to predictable, confident steering. Michael Van Runkle, Robb Report, 2 Nov. 2024 Amid Ramanujan’s prodigious output, these statements stand out. Jordana Cepelewicz, Quanta Magazine, 21 Oct. 2024 The scholarships are awarded to pieces of significant work, which includes a creative application of existing knowledge, an innovation, a prodigious performance or another demonstration of a prodigious accomplishment. Kristen Moon, Forbes, 4 Nov. 2024 Every album she’s done has its own shape and feel — from her prodigious 2018 breakthrough, Clean, to her 2020 meditation on broken nostalgia, Color Theory, to 2022’s darker, more noisily cathartic Sometimes, Forever. Jon Dolan, Rolling Stone, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for prodigious 
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prodigious
Adjective
  • The Hawks are causing tremendous problems with their perimeter defensive length through Jalen Johnson and Dyson Daniels, who leads the NBA with 3.04 steals per game and is the conference’s reigning Defensive Player of the Month.
    Joe Vardon, The Athletic, 14 Dec. 2024
  • Overall, a tremendous amount of thought and care has gone into the design of the HP OmniBook Ultra Flip, elevating it above the run-of-the-mill laptop.
    Barry Collins, Forbes, 14 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • The residents of this wonderful city hold a special place in my heart.
    Melissa Noel, Essence, 16 Dec. 2024
  • Watch The Small One on Disney+ Ice Age: A Mammoth Christmas This short holiday special catches up with the Ice Age characters at the most wonderful time of the year … well, in theory.
    Sydni Ellis, People.com, 15 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Lottery players have seen enormous jackpots recently, with previous winners of both the Powerball and Mega Millions breaking into the top 10 largest jackpots in U.S. lottery history.
    Lorenzino Estrada, The Arizona Republic, 7 Dec. 2024
  • Turnout was enormous, the highest in more than thirty years.
    Lauren Collins, The New Yorker, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Both turned out to be historic miscalculations — with no clearer evidence than the astonishing fall of an Assad family regime on Sunday that had ruled Syria for 53 years.
    Barak Ravid, Axios, 9 Dec. 2024
  • But while this award was received with a swell of enthusiasm back in West Africa, virtually no one in the U.S. had ever written about him or his family’s astonishing legacy.
    Eliot Stein, Rolling Stone, 9 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Thousands of costumes are kept in a vast warehouse in Scarborough, North Yorkshire.
    Baz Bamigboye, Deadline, 7 Dec. 2024
  • The post — which has already received more than 2,000 comments as of Dec. 7 — generated much discussion among Reddit users, with the vast majority of commenters coming to the man’s defense.
    Toria Sheffield, People.com, 7 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • Earlier this year, Apple introduced its amazing Vision Pro spatial computing headset, giving us a glimpse of our immersive digital future.
    Tim Bajarin, Forbes, 17 Dec. 2024
  • What’s been amazing about series one is getting all these incredible actors together.
    Lily Ford, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • This, unsurprisingly, has led to a huge online backlash, with many people furiously making memes and posting about this turn of events.
    Callum Booth, Forbes, 16 Dec. 2024
  • Theoretically, that's a positive thing for a huge country like Canada—but not right now.
    Raja Krishnamoorthi, Newsweek, 16 Dec. 2024
Adjective
  • This is a 16-time Funny Car champion, mind you, whose latest chapter reads like something out of a Hollywood blockbuster, complete with fire, fury, and a miraculous escape.
    Greg Engle, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
  • Around the same time, The County Buzz – the high school sports magazine Etienne launched in 2005 – made a miraculous comeback.
    Chris Quintana, USA TODAY, 13 Dec. 2024

Podcast

Thesaurus Entries Near prodigious

Cite this Entry

“Prodigious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prodigious. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.

More from Merriam-Webster on prodigious

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!