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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 of prodigious in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web Wandering, unorthodox, Alexis Pauline Gumbs melds her prodigious mind to Lorde, illuminating how the activist/poet saw her own life as inspiration, long after her death in 1992. Christopher Borrelli, Chicago Tribune, 18 Sep. 2024 James Earl Jones, whose prodigious acting talent was often overshadowed by his distinctive baritone over a seven-decade career both onstage and on the screen, died Monday, his representative said. Ethan Sacks, NBC News, 9 Sep. 2024 Three major national progressive outfits did spend to defend incumbent Squad members, but at a far less prodigious rate. Geoffrey Skelley, ABC News, 17 Sep. 2024 But with his usual prodigious energy, the 65-year-old Muir — who sported a long white beard and exuded an impish sense of humor — dashed to the city’s Botanic Gardens, which was bursting with otherworldly Aussie flora. Tony Perrottet, Travel + Leisure, 25 June 2024 See all Example Sentences for prodigious 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'prodigious.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

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Thesaurus Entries Near prodigious

Cite this Entry

“Prodigious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prodigious. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

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