Word
prodigy
Phoneticsprodi·gy
US/ˈpɹɑdədʒi/
UK/pɹˈɒdɪdʒi/
Countable noun
Definition
n. a young person who has a natural, amazing talent for something like music or math. They are much better at their skill than most adults.
n. a person, especially a child or young person, having extraordinary talent or ability. Often used to describe mastery of a complex field at an early age.
Examples
“The young piano prodigy played a difficult concerto perfectly.”
“By the age of ten, the chess prodigy was already competing against international grandmasters and winning.”
“While many children show early promise, a true prodigy demonstrates a level of technical proficiency and creative maturity that typically takes decades of professional practice to achieve.”
Examples
simple
“The young piano prodigy played a difficult concerto perfectly.”
contextual
“By the age of ten, the chess prodigy was already competing against international grandmasters and winning.”
complex
“While many children show early promise, a true prodigy demonstrates a level of technical proficiency and creative maturity that typically takes decades of professional practice to achieve.”
Usage
Often paired with a specific field, such as 'musical prodigy' or 'mathematical prodigy'.
Real-World Examples
“In a wealthy New York suburb in the late 1970s, 18-year-old golf prodigy Mira Winston kills a classmate in a freak accident at the country club.” “Although the 18-year-old Sean Steur – one of four players aged 20 or under signed by Newcastle since June – showed off some nice touches, the former Ajax prodigy betrayed his inexperience at times.” Etymology
From Middle English prodige (“portent”), from Latin prōdigium (“omen, portent, prophetic sign”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.C1 AdvancedIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.7.0–8.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 5.0–5.595–113TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.945–990
- Frequency
- Frequent
- Level
- C1 · Advanced
- Updated
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/prodigy