Standard Lemma guide

wunderkind

noun · 3 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: /ˈvʊn.də.kɪnd/
  • Received-Pronunciation: /ˈwʊn.də.kɪnd/
  • US: /ˈvʊn.dɚ.kɪnt/
  • US: /ˈvʊn.dɚ.kɪnd/
  • US: /ˈwʊn.dɚ.kɪnd/
  • US: /ˈwʌn.dɚ.kɪnd/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: W AH1 N D ER0 K AY2 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
  • CMU ARPABET 2: W AH1 N D ER0 K IH2 N D Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A child prodigy; a wonderchild.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: boy wonder, golden boy, phenom, quiz kid, whiz kid, wonderboy, wonderchild, wonderkid, wunderkind

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A highly talented or gifted person, especially one who is successful at a young age.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: brain, brain surgeon, brainbox, brainiac, deep thinker, Einstein, egghead, genius, intellectual, mind, rocket scientist, superbrain, thinker

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Alternative letter-case form of wunderkind.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: alt-of

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Unadapted borrowing from German Wunderkind, from Wunder (“wonder”) + Kind (“child”). Compare native wonderchild.

Across languages

Translations

9 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Bulgarian: ву́ндеркинд (vúnderkind) — highly talented person who is successful at a young age
  • Finnish: ihmelapsi — highly talented person who is successful at a young age
  • German: Wunderkind — highly talented person who is successful at a young age
  • Hungarian: csodagyerek — highly talented person who is successful at a young age
  • Macedonian: ву́ндеркинд (vúnderkind) — highly talented person who is successful at a young age
  • Norwegian: vidunderbarn — highly talented person who is successful at a young age
  • Polish: dziecko szczęścia — highly talented person who is successful at a young age
  • Polish: cudowne dziecko — highly talented person who is successful at a young age
  • Russian: вундерки́нд (vundɛrkínd) — highly talented person who is successful at a young age