prodigy
Americannoun
plural
prodigies-
a person, especially a child or young person, having extraordinary talent or ability.
a musical prodigy.
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a marvelous example (usually followed byof ).
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something wonderful or marvelous; a wonder.
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something abnormal or monstrous.
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Archaic. something extraordinary regarded as of prophetic significance.
noun
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a person, esp a child, of unusual or marvellous talents
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anything that is a cause of wonder and amazement
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something monstrous or abnormal
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an archaic word for omen
Etymology
Origin of prodigy
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English prodige, from Latin prōdigium “prophetic sign”
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.
Two years ago, Jack Lang of The Athletic, external tracked down a once-teenage Brazilian prodigy dubbed 'The Little Seal', now 38 enjoying a quiet life coaching kids in North Carolina.
From BBC • Mar. 24, 2026
The last feature Gyllenhaal appeared in as an actor was 2018’s “The Kindergarten Teacher,” playing an overzealous mentor to a young poetry prodigy.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 1, 2026
The French prodigy struggled to make an offensive mark on the early action.
From Barron's • Feb. 24, 2026
As a child in California, she was a skating prodigy and the brightest American prospect—until she burned out and left the sport.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 19, 2026
Even Mozart—the greatest musical prodigy of all time — couldn’t hit his stride until he had his ten thousand hours in.
From "Outliers" by Malcolm Gladwell
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.
