prodigy

a person with exceptional talent or ability: a child prodigy; a marvelous thing

Not to be confused with:

protégé – a person under the protection, patronage, or tutelage of another: a protégé of the concertmaster

prod·i·gy

(prŏd′ə-jē)

n. pl. prod·i·gies

1. A person with exceptional talents or powers: a math prodigy.

2. An act or event so extraordinary or rare as to inspire wonder: "The Spies performed prodigies of activity in clambering over the rooftops and cutting the streamers that fluttered from the chimneys" (George Orwell).

3. Archaic A portentous sign or event; an omen.

[Middle English prodige, portent, from Latin prōdigium.]

American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

prodigy

(ˈprɒdɪdʒɪ)

n, pl -gies

1. a person, esp a child, of unusual or marvellous talents. Also called: child genius or child prodigy

2. anything that is a cause of wonder and amazement

3. something monstrous or abnormal

4. an archaic word for omen

[C16: from Latin prōdigium an unnatural happening, from pro-¹ + -igium, probably from āio I say]

Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014

prod•i•gy

(ˈprɒd ɪ dʒi)

n., pl. -gies.

1. a person, esp. a child or young person, having extraordinary talent or ability: a musical prodigy.

2. something that excites wonder or amazement.

3. something abnormal or monstrous.

4. Archaic. something regarded as of prophetic significance.

[1425–75; < Latin prōdigium prophetic sign]

ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:

Noun	1.	prodigy - an unusually gifted or intelligent (young) person; someone whose talents excite wonder and admiration; "she is a chess prodigy" boy wonder - an extremely talented young male person child prodigy, infant prodigy, wonder child - a prodigy whose talents are recognized at an early age; "Mozart was a child prodigy" brainiac, genius, mastermind, Einstein, brain - someone who has exceptional intellectual ability and originality; "Mozart was a child genius"; "he's smart but he's no Einstein" girl wonder - an extremely talented young female person
	2.	prodigy - a sign of something about to happen; "he looked for an omen before going into battle" omen, portent, prognostic, prognostication, presage augury, foretoken, preindication, sign - an event that is experienced as indicating important things to come; "he hoped it was an augury"; "it was a sign from God" auspice - a favorable omen foreboding - an unfavorable omen death knell - an omen of death or destruction
	3.	prodigy - an impressive or wonderful example of a particular quality; "the Marines are expected to perform prodigies of valor" exemplar, good example, example, model - something to be imitated; "an exemplar of success"; "a model of clarity"; "he is the very model of a modern major general"

prodigy

noun genius, talent, wizard, mastermind, whizz (informal), whizz kid (informal), wunderkind, brainbox, child genius, wonder child an 11-year-old chess prodigy

Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002

prodigy

noun

One that evokes great surprise and admiration:

astonishment, marvel, miracle, phenomenon, sensation, stunner, wonder, wonderment.

Idioms: one for the books, the eighth wonder of the world.

Translations

أُعْجوبَه، آيَه، شَيءٌ رائِع

zázrak

vidunder

Wunder

prodigio

enneennusmerkkiihmeihmelapsimalliesimerkki

prodige

csodagyerek

undra-

prodigio prodigioso prodi-

前兆神童驚異

dabas brīnums/retums

særsyn unikum vidunder

underbarn

dâhi

天才奇事奇才

prodigy

[ˈprɒdɪdʒɪ] N → prodigio m
child prodigy; infant prodigy → niño/a m/f prodigio

Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005

prodigy

[ˈprɒdɪdʒi] n → prodige m

Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005

prodigy

n → Wunder nt; child or infant prodigy → Wunderkind nt

Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007

prodigy

[ˈprɒdɪdʒɪ] n → prodigio
child prodigy, infant prodigy → bambino/a prodigio inv

prodigy

(ˈprodidʒi) – plural ˈprodigies – noun

something strange and wonderful. A very clever child is sometimes called a child prodigy; prodigies of nature.

Mentioned in

References in classic literature

"That is true; I was vexed when I spoke, for I thought an easier and happier day was dawning for my prodigy and pearl."

You are considering her for the moment as prodigy; I am thinking of her more as pearl."

View in context

Not the wondrous cistern in the whale's huge head; not the prodigy of his unhinged lower jaw; not the miracle of his symmetrical tail; none of these would so surprise you, as half a glimpse of that unaccountable cone, -- longer than a Kentuckian is tall, nigh a foot in diameter at the base, and jet-black as Yojo, the ebony idol of Queequeg.

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He was always a Negro prodigy who played barbarously and wonderfully.

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Or, if you shall so prefer to choose, a new province of knowledge and new avenues to fame and power shall be laid open to you, here, in this room, upon the instant; and your sight shall be blasted by a prodigy to stagger the unbelief of Satan."

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Verily, a prodigy is this power of praising and blaming.

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I forget-- are you a prodigy, or did you say you were not a prodigy?"

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D'Artagnan, leaning against the wall, in front of Fouquet, with his hand to his brow, asked himself the cause of such a wonderful prodigy. He could not have said at once why he doubted, but he knew assuredly that he had reason to doubt, and that in this meeting of the two Louis XIV.s lay all the doubt and difficulty that during late days had rendered the conduct of Aramis so suspicious to the musketeer.

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Testimonials representing Mrs General as a prodigy of piety, learning, virtue, and gentility, were lavishly contributed from influential quarters; and one venerable archdeacon even shed tears in recording his testimony to her perfections

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The other prodigy Jimmy told us about was the younger son of a chief, who, although but just turned of ten, had entered upon holy orders, because his superstitious countrymen thought him especially intended for the priesthood from the fact of his having a comb on his head like a rooster.

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He has NOT literally `ever,' in these weeks that I myself have lived with him and so closely watched him; he has been an imperturbable little prodigy of delightful, lovable goodness.

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(for so I shall henceforth call him), and his children, and every servant of his house, were desirous to teach me; for they looked upon it as a prodigy, that a brute animal should discover such marks of a rational creature.

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