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.
Phil Foden's magnificent man-of-the-match display in the Champions League against AEK Athens served as a reminder of the prodigious talent that the player still possesses.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
When you have your own distinctive sound, you should absolutely make prodigious use of that particular talent.
From Salon ● Sep. 22, 2026
Historically, Google, Amazon, Microsoft and Meta, four of the most prodigious builders of data centers, have been among the world’s biggest buyers and developers of renewable energy.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 4, 2026
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
Sybil dismissed this prodigious feat—the man got lucky with regards to his master is all.
From "The Underground Railroad: A Novel" by Colson Whitehead
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
