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
Nelson Espinal, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 July 2025
At the national championships back in May, the Chinese prodigy swam the 200m individual relay in 2:10.63.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 26 July 2025
Other historical spaces of note: the Basildon Room, with frescoes of Dante’s Divine Comedy by 18th-century child prodigy and Swiss painter Angelica Kauffman, imported over from an English estate in financial distress.
—Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure, 25 July 2025
That’s when Mike meets his client’s wayward grandson, Kyle (Alex Shaffer), who’s a wrestling prodigy.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 25 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for prodigy
Cite this Entry
“Prodigy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prodigy. Accessed 3 Aug. 2025.
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prodigy
noun
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