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Synonyms

phenom

American  
[fee-nom, fi-nom] / ˈfi nɒm, fɪˈnɒm /

noun

Slang.
  1. a phenomenon, especially a young prodigy.

    a twelve-year-old tennis phenom.


phenom British  
/ fɪˈnɒm /

noun

  1. informal a person or thing of outstanding abilities or qualities

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Usage

What does phenom mean? A phenom is a person with an extraordinary talent or ability. The word is especially used to refer to a relatively young person who is considered a prodigy.Phenom is a shortened version of the word phenomenon, which can be used to mean the same thing.The word phenom is often preceded by the particular field that the phenom excels in or the skill that they have, as in chess phenom or basketball phenom.Example: All eyes are on the gymnastics phenom as she makes her first international appearance.

Etymology

Origin of phenom

By shortening

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

When his parents went looking for a space where their budding phenom might have the chance to grow into a larger loop, they settled on the Pettit.

From The Wall Street Journal

From being the teenage phenom to the seasoned veteran, Chloe is navigating the world as someone still learning about it while balancing her position as a mentor to the sport’s next generation.

From Los Angeles Times

Darnold absorbed the downgrade from phenom to backup and rebuilt himself to starting material.

From The Wall Street Journal

But the young phenom also gets sacked more than almost any other quarterback.

From Barron's

He said that she never really had a chance to establish an identity outside of skiing because she was such a phenom, and so squarely in the public spotlight.

From Los Angeles Times