prodigy
noun
Did you know?
Is a prodigy a genius or a monster - or both? Nowadays, it's the talent that shines through, but back in the 15th century the word's meaning was more strongly influenced by that of its Latin ancestor, prodigium, meaning "omen" or "monster." Back then, a prodigy could be any strange or weird thing that might be an omen of things to come. Even in modern English, the word sometimes refers to an extraordinary deed or accomplishment. P.G. Wodehouse used that sense when he described how a character named Pongo Twistleton was "performing prodigies with the [billiard] cue."
Examples of prodigy in a Sentence
Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 13 Jan. 2026
Plano East prodigy Arianna Robinson was named The Dallas Morning News All-Area Girls Basketball Player of the Year last season after leading Plano East to the state semifinals for the first time.
—Greg Riddle, Dallas Morning News, 13 Jan. 2026
Goff was born in Kansas in 1904 and was a child prodigy, starting his career with a firm in Tulsa at the age of 12 and producing a significant body of work there before moving to Chicago in 1934.
—Edward Keegan, Chicago Tribune, 11 Jan. 2026
Chelsea, who saw their prodigy Estevao swallowed up by the occasion and hooked at the break, had their doors blown off.
—Beren Cross, New York Times, 10 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for prodigy
Cite this Entry
“Prodigy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prodigy. Accessed 16 Jan. 2026.
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prodigy
noun
