prodigious

adjective

pro·​di·​gious prə-ˈdi-jəs 

1

: causing amazement or wonder

2

: extraordinary in bulk, quantity, or degree : enormous

3

a

: resembling or befitting a prodigy : strange, unusual

b

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.

Synonyms

• amazing
• astonishing
• astounding
• awesome
• awful
• eye-opening
• fabulous
• marvelous
• marvellous
• miraculous
• portentous
• staggering
• stunning
• stupendous
• sublime
• surprising
• wonderful
• wondrous

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 bullied 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

Frenk has also proved to be a prodigious fundraiser, leading a $2.5-billion campaign for the University of Miami’s centennial next year and quadrupling contributions as Harvard’s dean of the school of public health — helping secure a historic $350-million endowment gift. —Teresa Watanabe, Los Angeles Times, 12 June 2024

Brown has proved a prodigious fundraiser, having brought in $7.1 million as of May 22. —Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 9 June 2024

Though the language is rich, recalling Black spoken word traditions and anticipating the dominance of rap, the technique is more mesmerizing than theatrical here, especially as sped through by the prodigious Kittles to keep the show moving. —Jesse Green, New York Times, 6 June 2024

Pavelski signed a three-year, $21 million deal with the Stars on July 1, 2019, ending his prodigious 13-season run in a teal uniform. —Curtis Pashelka, The Mercury News, 4 June 2024

Word History

Etymology

see prodigy

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3b

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Kids Definition

prodigious

adjective

pro·​di·​gious prə-ˈdij-əs 

1

: exciting amazement or wonder

performs prodigious feats

2

: very big : huge

a prodigious amount of food

prodigiously adverb