1
as in wizard
a very smart person
the 16-year-old college graduate was considered to be a genius
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in talent
a special and usually inborn ability
had a genius for remembering long strings of numbers had a genius for saying the wrong thing, no matter what the social situation
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in aptitude
a habitual attraction to some activity or thing
a genius for gambling over his head
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4
as in self
the set of qualities that makes a person, a group of people, or a thing different from others
putting the needs of the individual before those of society is alien to the genius of the Japanese people
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5
as in manifestation
a visible representation of something abstract (as a quality)
the giant tortoise would seem to be the very genius of the unfathomable ancientness that one associates with the Galápagos Islands
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of genius
Brontë’s genius lies in complicating hate and love, in passing burdens across generations.
—
Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
Many of Chaplin’s best movies are available to stream on HBO Max, but for those looking for an entry point to explore the genius’ filmography, The Great Dictator is a great place to start.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
But the sea also surges through Tennyson’s poetry in a completely different way, although one equally constitutive of his genius.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Walt Disney, 63-year-old artistic genius of the Disney empire, may not be an officer of Walt Disney Productions, parent company which produces motion pictures for theatrical and television distribution and operates Disneyland Park.
—Roger Simmons, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for genius
Ana Gutierrez, Austin American Statesman, 11 Feb. 2026
Many of Chaplin’s best movies are available to stream on HBO Max, but for those looking for an entry point to explore the genius’ filmography, The Great Dictator is a great place to start.
—Ilana Gordon, Entertainment Weekly, 10 Feb. 2026
But the sea also surges through Tennyson’s poetry in a completely different way, although one equally constitutive of his genius.
—Kathryn Schulz, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
Walt Disney, 63-year-old artistic genius of the Disney empire, may not be an officer of Walt Disney Productions, parent company which produces motion pictures for theatrical and television distribution and operates Disneyland Park.
—Roger Simmons, The Orlando Sentinel, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for genius
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genius
Noun
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For years, defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has been a wizard at designing blitzes that fool quarterbacks.—
Sam McDowell
February 5,
Kansas City Star,
5 Feb. 2026
-
That was until April 2016, when Universal Studios Hollywood unveiled its own 200-foot-tall Hogwarts castle inspired by the beloved wizard.—
Kailyn Brown,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
The World team was loaded with talent, but NBA scoring leader Luka Doncic and three-time MVP Nikola Jokic both sat out its second game, likely to preserve the health of two superstars who have struggled with injury in the past month.—
Greg Beacham,
Twin Cities,
16 Feb. 2026
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Over the past 10 years, Hüller has built an international reputation as a major talent, most notably in the films Toni Erdmann, The Zone of Interest and Anatomy of a Fall, the latter earning her an Oscar nomination for best actress.—
David Rooney,
HollywoodReporter,
15 Feb. 2026
Noun
-
In the era of collaboration, globalization, and entrepreneurship, EQ surpassed IQ as the must-have aptitude for an interconnected world.—
Big Think,
Big Think,
3 Feb. 2026
-
The Broncos expect Stidham to play well given his mental aptitude, preparation and personality.—
Troy Renck,
Denver Post,
22 Jan. 2026
Noun
-
And indeed, in-between the shiny sales pitches came little glimpses of self-own.—
Steven Zeitchik,
HollywoodReporter,
9 Feb. 2026
-
DeepMind’s AlphaGo, which defeated the world’s Go champion in 2016, had learned the game over thousands of iterations of self-play.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
9 Feb. 2026
Noun
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There are about 10 million cystic-fibrosis carriers in the United States alone, so if even a fraction of them have some degree of symptoms, that amounts to many people with manifestations of the disease.—
Roxanne Khamsi,
The Atlantic,
15 Feb. 2026
-
The feeling of pieces that have been worn for years, a manifestation of the secondhand market boom, also pervaded the predictions.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Duncan will recur as Mimir, a cheery fellow from Celtic lands with an expansive intellect, a quick wit and a good head on his shoulders.—
Rosy Cordero,
Deadline,
30 Jan. 2026
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What came to him naturally was his intellect.—
Kevin Kruse,
Forbes.com,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Having hit the ground running with the one-two punch of Promising Young Woman (2020) and Saltburn (2023), Fennell immediately showed a knack for provocation and a willingness to poke social-issue bears, even if the aim-to-grasp ratio tended to fall short.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
11 Feb. 2026
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Martin himself has a knack for reinforcing these caricatures.—
Mark Leibovich,
The Atlantic,
11 Feb. 2026
Noun
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In September, a swarm of Russian drones flew into Poland's airspace, prompting NATO aircraft to scramble to intercept them and shoot down some of the devices.—
DEMOCRAT-GAZETTE STAFF FROM WIRE REPORTS,
Arkansas Online,
6 Feb. 2026
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The countries announced a framework for the agreement in November, saying Argentina would ease restrictions on a range of American imports, including cattle, dairy products, medicines, chemicals, machinery, medical devices and vehicles.—
Isabel Debre,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Genius.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genius. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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