phenom
Americannoun
noun
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
Explanation
An incredibly talented person can be called a phenom. You may dream of being recognized as a musical phenom during your ukulele performance at the school talent show. Young athletes with extraordinary skills are commonly described as phenoms, and it's no surprise that the term originated in baseball slang. It's a shortened form of phenomenon, "extraordinary occurrence," coined in the 1890s. A rookie pitcher who throws a no-hitter is a phenom, and so is someone like Greta Thunberg, who became a famous climate activist as a teenager. Use this word for people you find to be phenomenally inspiring!
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.
“Marty Supreme” director Josh Safdie cast Catsimatidis as Christopher Galanis, a financial backer of the table tennis phenom played by Timothée Chalamet in the film.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 22, 2026
This had a fateful consequence for Buffalo: The top available prospect that year was a teenage phenom named Connor McDavid.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 15, 2026
As USC women’s coach Lindsay Gottlieb watched the action intently from the bleachers, sophomore Tatianna Griffin had 18 points, freshman phenom Chloe Jenkins had 16 points and Dani Robinson added 13 for Ontario Christian.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 8, 2026
Darnold absorbed the downgrade from phenom to backup and rebuilt himself to starting material.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 9, 2026
In vetting him for the job, his trainer neglected to look at his sister, a local basketball phenom.
From "Seabiscuit: An American Legend" by Laura Hillenbrand
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
