Definition of prodigiousnext
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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

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prodigious The back of the Torcal hints at last year’s EXP 15 Concept, while the taut and muscular haunches allude to the model’s prodigious output. — Viju Mathew, Robb Report, 23 Sep. 2026 The power output might not be as prodigious as the electric Porsche Cayenne but should be sufficient nonetheless. — Jonathan M. Gitlin, ArsTechnica, 23 Sep. 2026 Recent warnings about the potentially disastrous impacts of artificial intelligence, which requires prodigious computing power housed inside data centers, have made communities even more nervous about the facilities. — John Aguilar, Denver Post, 23 Sep. 2026 How would this prodigious author of eighteen other novels—among them the most adventuresome in the Latin American literary canon—conclude his career? — Ariel Dorfman, The New York Review of Books, 19 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for prodigious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prodigious
Adjective
  • The pom-pom sandals at Givenchy were wonderful, fun, unexpected and exactly what fashion lovers are looking for from a spring runway show.
    — Sandra Salibian, Footwear News, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Expect to see rare bottles pulled from the shelves and all manner of weird and wonderful concoctions offered up from the menu and from their encyclopedic knowledge of drinks.
    — Condé Nast, cntraveler.com, 13 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • What is already clear is the tremendous talent across our organization and our shared mission to deepen and extend our fans’ emotional connection to our iconic brands and franchises through high-quality products and stories.
    — Todd Spangler, Variety, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The museum brought a tremendous wow factor that cities around the world were soon clamoring to imitate.
    — Robb Report, Robb Report, 9 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Winston had thrown passes into pockets of space the size of a cupped hand, and launched sudden and astonishing deep spirals far down the field.
    — Louisa Thomas, New Yorker, 11 Oct. 2026
  • But what’s truly astonishing is the sheer scope of the effort involved in the gargantuan stop-motion production that involved some 200 practical puppets and 130 practical sets to bring the elaborate story to life.
    — Frank Scheck, HollywoodReporter, 11 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • Deep-sea mining companies are targeting this vast reserves of metal-rich nodules to power the electric vehicle market.
    — Mrigakshi Dixit, Interesting Engineering, 14 Oct. 2026
  • China has stepped up cooperation with Southeast Asian nations to crack down on a vast industry that has flourished in the region in recent years to fleece people out of billions of dollars.
    — CBS News, CBS News, 13 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • That’s from interaction with amazing creatives, amazing writers who have different perspectives.
    — Alex Zalben, IndieWire, 13 Oct. 2026
  • Everything about the show was amazing and just a joyous occasion and one that will go down in music history.
    — Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 13 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • First developed in the 1950s, this aircraft has an enormous weapon payload capacity and intercontinental range.
    — Christopher McFadden, Interesting Engineering, 11 Oct. 2026
  • On top of store closures and unsold inventory, the company was choking on enormous debt from a private equity buyout in 2014.
    — Phil Wahba, Fortune, 10 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • But this success, of course, has not happened in a miraculous silo.
    — Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 7 Oct. 2026
  • My dad found the blog of a man who claimed to cure his Stage 4 lung cancer with a regimen of fenbendazole, a miraculous recovery that stumped his oncologists.
    — Trisha Thadani Kirsten Potter Tanya Pérez Devin Murphy, New York Times, 4 Oct. 2026
Adjective
  • The account has more than 13 million followers, giving whoever controlled it access to a huge audience and the credibility that comes with Microsoft’s name.
    — Kurt Knutsson, FOXNews.com, 11 Oct. 2026
  • For a family living in poverty, having a home can make a huge difference in the fight for survival.
    — Kamala Thiagarajan, NPR, 11 Oct. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Prodigious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prodigious. Accessed 16 Oct. 2026.

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