wunderkind
Americannoun
plural
wunderkinds,plural
wunderkinder-
a wonder child or child prodigy.
-
a person who succeeds, especially in business, at a comparatively early age.
noun
-
a child prodigy
-
a person who is exceptionally successful in his field while still young
Etymology
Origin of wunderkind
1890–95; < German, equivalent to Wunder wonder + Kind child
Explanation
A wunderkind is someone who achieves a huge amount of success at a young age. Publish a bestselling novel before you turn 14 and everyone will be calling you a wunderkind. If you think this word looks a lot like "wonder kid," you're on the right track — the German Wunderkind means "wonder-child." It initially described musical prodigies like Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, who composed his first piece of music at the age of five. Today you can use it for any amazing young person, like your six-year-old cousin who does crazy skateboard tricks or the student in math class who rapidly solves equations that stump her teacher.
Vocabulary lists containing wunderkind
Words Derived from German
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Off the Record
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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.
At 14, the wunderkind performed for then-First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House as part of a student delegation of musicians from the museum.
From Los Angeles Times • May 1, 2026
Also, a wunderkind dobro player named Jerry Douglas.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 28, 2026
Even the president's onetime wunderkind former prime minister Gabriel Attal is keeping his distance.
From BBC • Oct. 6, 2025
It was the Olympic Stadium, not Camp Nou, that witnessed the emergence of the club’s newest wunderkind, Yamal.
From The Wall Street Journal • Sep. 12, 2025
Peter Diamond was the latest up-and-coming Brooklyn wunderkind literary sensation.
From "The Serpent King" by Jeff Zentner
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.
