prodigy

noun

prod·​i·​gy ˈprä-də-jē 

plural prodigies

1

a

: a highly talented child or youth

b

: an extraordinary, marvelous, or unusual accomplishment, deed, or event

2

a

: something extraordinary or inexplicable

b

: a portentous event : omen

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."

Synonyms

• miracle
• marvel
• wonder
• phenomenon

Examples of prodigy in a Sentence

a new drug that is being hailed as the latest prodigy of the medical world

Recent Examples on the Web

The games were marked by excess and anxiety: fortunes shifted across the table, hedge-fund prodigies sat elbow to elbow with film stars and men of ambiguous reputation, all of them suspended in the Plaza’s shimmering twilight. —Adam Gopnik, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2025

Anne Wilson continues her blend of country and Christian music sounds on her new, four-song EP God Story, while bluegrass prodigy Wyatt Ellis teams with fellow bluegrass stalwarts Trey Hensley and Michael Cleveland to cover a 1950s country/bluegrass classic. —Jessica Nicholson, Billboard, 4 Aug. 2025

The Capricious Prodigy Think of AI as a capricious prodigy who has the potential to be brilliant but occasionally does something idiotic without warning. —Arthur Hicken, Forbes.com, 28 July 2025

Anisimova is a former teen tennis prodigy who lost her way after her father (who was also her coach) died unexpectedly in 2019. —Chris Branch, New York Times, 11 July 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Latin prodigium omen, monster, from pro-, prod- + -igium (akin to aio I say) — more at adage

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

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Kids Definition

prodigy

noun

prod·​i·​gy ˈpräd-ə-jē 

plural prodigies

1

: an amazing event or action : wonder

2

: an unusually talented child