prodigious
Americanadjective
-
extraordinary in size, amount, extent, degree, force, etc..
a prodigious research grant.
- Synonyms:
- tremendous, gigantic, huge, immense, enormous
- Antonyms:
- tiny
-
wonderful or marvelous.
a prodigious feat.
- Synonyms:
- miraculous, wondrous, astounding, stupendous, amazing
- Antonyms:
- ordinary
-
abnormal; monstrous.
-
Obsolete. ominous.
adjective
-
vast in size, extent, power, etc
-
wonderful or amazing
-
obsolete threatening
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of prodigious
First recorded in 1545–55, prodigious is from the Latin word prōdigiōsus marvelous. See prodigy, -ous
Explanation
Something exceptional, substantial, or great is prodigious. A blizzard includes prodigious wind and snow. A prodigious writer is one who can write a lot and do it well. Prodigious is a word for things that are impressive. If you have prodigious strength, you're very strong. If your cat had a prodigious litter of kittens, then you've got a houseful of kittens. This is a strong word that's also kind of formal. Save it for things that really blow you away because of their quality or quantity. A little drizzle isn't a prodigious rain, but a storm that floods a whole city certainly is.
Vocabulary lists containing prodigious
Martin Luther King Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" Speech (1963)
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Julius Caesar
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from all 4 Acts
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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.
Dango Ouattara: Poor touch cost him a chance of a goal in the first half but his prodigious work-rate made a crucial contribution.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
She was running for a rare open congressional seat in San Francisco and, though well known in political circles as a prodigious Democratic fundraiser and high-level activist, Pelosi was a blank slate to many voters.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 26, 2026
Even after a prodigious pop Wednesday, Wendy’s shares have trailed the S&P 500 by 89 percentage points over the past two years.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 25, 2026
Another risk to Microsoft posed by AI is prodigious capital spending on chips to run AI, data centers, and electric power generation.
From Barron's ● May 15, 2026
Standing on this limb, you could by a prodigious effort jump far enough out into the river for safety.
From "A Separate Peace" by John Knowles
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.
