prodigy
noun
Did you know?
Is a prodigy a genius or a monster - or both? Nowadays, it's the talent that shines through, but back in the 15th century the word's meaning was more strongly influenced by that of its Latin ancestor, prodigium, meaning "omen" or "monster." Back then, a prodigy could be any strange or weird thing that might be an omen of things to come. Even in modern English, the word sometimes refers to an extraordinary deed or accomplishment. P.G. Wodehouse used that sense when he described how a character named Pongo Twistleton was "performing prodigies with the [billiard] cue."
Examples of prodigy in a Sentence
Daniel Dockery, Vulture, 21 Apr. 2025
The character Sammie, a young musical prodigy who barely survives a vampire massacre of 1936, is shown as an elderly man.
—Nicholas Creel, MSNBC Newsweek, 18 Apr. 2025
With its lottery pick, the Storm selected 19-year-old French prodigy Dominique Malonga at No. 2.
—Roberta F. Rodrigues, Forbes.com, 15 Apr. 2025
French prodigy Dominique Malonga is drawing Victor Wembanyama comparisons.
—Steven Louis Goldstein, New York Times, 14 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for prodigy
Cite this Entry
“Prodigy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/prodigy. Accessed 29 Apr. 2025.
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prodigy
noun
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