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

To view Webb as the NFL’s next new-kid-on-the-block coaching wunderkind, though, would be to discount all that has gone into preparing himself for the moment that arrives Monday night. — Nick Kosmider, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Holmes is no stranger to having her life and her persona as a supposedly brilliant female tech wunderkind dissected by others. — Martha Ross, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026

Igby Rigney Ryan Murphy knows how to spot Hollywood’s next wunderkind. — Jonathan Borge, InStyle, 27 Aug. 2026

Jason Arday, a neurodivergent Black Cambridge professor who was feted as a wunderkind by some and denigrated as a fabulist by others, resigned earlier this month amidst accusations of plagiarism. — Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 19 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

German, from Wunder wonder + Kind child

First Known Use

1873, in the meaning defined above