wunderkind

noun

wun·​der·​kind ˈvu̇n-dər-ˌkint 

plural wunderkinder ˈvu̇n-dər-ˌkin-dər 

: a child prodigy

also : one who succeeds in a competitive or highly difficult field or profession at an early age

Examples of wunderkind in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Their street protests across the 2000s ultimately gave rise to future freedom fighter Volodymyr Zelensky being elected president in 2019, with a hyper-tech campaign across Ukraine’s cybersphere that was engineered by Web wunderkind Mykhailo Fedorov. — Kevin Holden Platt, Forbes.com, 22 July 2026

The debut film from 26-year-old wunderkind Curry Barker crossed the $250 million mark at the domestic box office this weekend — on a shockingly scant sub-$1 million budget. — Ryan Coleman, Entertainment Weekly, 20 July 2026

England wunderkind David Beckham, then 23, had been fouled by Diego Simeone and lay face-first on the field. — Mark Zeigler, San Diego Union-Tribune, 15 July 2026

The 2000s megacomic Dane Cook will star in an upcoming horror short directed by wunderkind Obsession director Barker’s father, Jeff Barker, per The Hollywood Reporter. — Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 14 July 2026

Word History

Etymology

German, from Wunder wonder + Kind child

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above