Standard Lemma guide

prodigy

noun · 8 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈpɹɒdɪd͡ʒi/
  • Southern-England: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • General-American: /ˈpɹɑdɪd͡ʒi/
  • CMU ARPABET: P R AA1 D AH0 JH IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

An extraordinary occurrence or creature; an anomaly, especially a monster; a freak.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

An amazing or marvellous thing; a wonder.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

A wonderful example of something.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

An extremely talented person, especially a child.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

5

noun

Meaning 5

An extraordinary thing seen as an omen; a portent.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: archaic

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

6

noun

Meaning 6

an impressive or wonderful example of a particular quality

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • the Marines are expected to perform prodigies of valor

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: exemplar, example, model, good example

7

noun

Meaning 7

a sign of something about to happen

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • he looked for an omen before going into battle

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: omen, portent, presage, prognostic, prognostication

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: augury, sign, foretoken, preindication

Narrower terms: auspice, foreboding, death knell

8

noun

Meaning 8

an unusually gifted or intelligent (young) person; someone whose talents excite wonder and admiration

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • she is a chess prodigy

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: genius, mastermind, brain, brainiac, Einstein

Narrower terms: boy wonder, child prodigy, infant prodigy, wonder child, girl wonder

History

Etymology

From Middle English prodige (“portent”), from Latin prōdigium (“omen, portent, prophetic sign”).

Across languages

Translations

92 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Arabic: أُعْجُوبَة (ʔuʕjūba) — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Bulgarian: чудо (čudo) — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Catalan: prodigi — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Czech: zázrak — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Danish: vidunder — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Dutch: wonder — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Dutch: mirakel — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Finnish: ihme — amazing or marvelous thing
  • French: prodige — amazing or marvelous thing
  • French: prodigie — amazing or marvelous thing
  • French: miracle — amazing or marvelous thing
  • French: merveille — amazing or marvelous thing
  • German: Wunder — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Hungarian: csoda — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Italian: prodigio — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Japanese: 驚異 (kyōi) — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Latin: prōdigium — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Māori: inati — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Portuguese: prodígio — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Portuguese: maravilha — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Russian: чу́до (čúdo) — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Spanish: maravilla — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Spanish: prodigio — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Spanish: portento — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Spanish: cosa extraña — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Spanish: milagro — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Swedish: under — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Swedish: underverk — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Swedish: vidunder — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Swedish: mirakel — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Ottoman Turkish: كرامت (keramet) — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Ottoman Turkish: معجزه (muʼcize) — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Ottoman Turkish: علامت (ʼalamet) — amazing or marvelous thing
  • Arabic: أُعْجُوبَة (ʔuʕjūba) — wonderful example of something
  • Bulgarian: феномен (fenomen) — wonderful example of something
  • Catalan: prodigi — wonderful example of something
  • Finnish: malliesimerkki — wonderful example of something
  • Māori: inati — wonderful example of something
  • Swedish: under — wonderful example of something
  • Swedish: underverk — wonderful example of something
  • Turkish: mucize — wonderful example of something
  • Arabic: نَابِغَة (nābiḡa) — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Bulgarian: вундеркинд (vunderkind) — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Catalan: prodigi — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Chinese Mandarin: 神童 (shéntóng) — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Chinese Mandarin: 聖童 /圣童 (shèngtóng) — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Chinese Mandarin: 資優兒童 /资优儿童 (zīyōu értóng) — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Czech: zázračné dítě — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Czech: génius — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Dutch: wonderkind — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Finnish: ihmelapsi — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • French: enfant prodige — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • French: génie — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • French: phénomène — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • German: Wunderkind — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • German: Genie — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • German: Hochbegabter — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • German: Naturtalent — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Hungarian: csodagyerek — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Italian: prodigio — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Italian: fenomeno — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Japanese: 神童 (shindō) — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Māori: taniwha — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Norwegian: vidunderbarn — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Portuguese: prodígio — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Russian: вундерки́нд (vunderkínd) — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Russian: ге́ний (génij) — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Spanish: prodigio — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Spanish: fenómeno — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Spanish: genio — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Spanish: niño prodigio — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Swedish: underbarn — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Turkish: dâhi çocuk — extremely talented person, especially a child
  • Bulgarian: знамение (znamenie) — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Catalan: prodigi — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Czech: znamení — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Finnish: enne — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Finnish: ennusmerkki — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • French: présage — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • French: augure — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • French: auspices — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • German: Orakel — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Italian: presagio — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Japanese: 前兆 (zenchō) — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Latin: prōdigium — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Māori: inati — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Portuguese: presságio — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Spanish: presagio — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Spanish: augurio — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Spanish: agüero — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Spanish: auspicio — extraordinary thing seen as an omen
  • Turkish: kâhin — extraordinary thing seen as an omen