prodigious
Syllables: pro·dig·i·ousUK/pɹəˈdɪd͡ʒəs//pɹəˈdɪd͡ʒəs/
prodigious adjective: extraordinarily amazing.
Adjective
prodigious (comparative more prodigious, superlative most prodigious)
- Extraordinarily amazing.
- VVhat am I? Old! or a Monſter! Is it ſo prodigious, that a Man ſhou'd like me?[1707], [Colley] Cibber, The Double Gallant: Or, The Sick Lady’s Cure. A Comedy. […], London: […] Bernard Lintott, […]; and sold by John Phillips, […], →OCLC, Act II, scene [i], page 23
- Prodigious! […] VVhat in the Name of VVonder hath brought you to England?1730, [Henry Fielding], Rape upon Rape; or, The Justice Caught in His Own Trap. A Comedy. […], London: […] J. Wat[t]s, […], →OCLC, Act III, scene v, page 33
- In a positive sense: marvellous, wonderful; (specifically) extremely talented, especially at a young age.
- Iohn Ponce aforeſaid [i.e., Juan Ponce de León] hearing a rumour of a prodigious vvell, vvhich (as the Poets tell of Medea) vvould make olde men become young againe, plaid the yongling to goe ſearch it ſix monethes together, and in that inquirie diſcouers this Continent: […]1613, Samuel Purchas, “[Relations of the Discoveries, Regions, and Religions, of the New World.] Of Florida.”, in Purchas His Pilgrimage. Or Relations of the World and the Religions Observed in All...
- […] Lafayette Square itself, contiguous to the Executive Mansion, could create a rich sense of the past by the use of scarce other witchcraft than its command of that pleasant perspective and its possession of the most prodigious of all Presidential effigies, Andrew Jackson, as archaic as a...1907 January 30, Henry James, “Washington”, in The American Scene, London: Chapman and Hall, →OCLC, section IV, page 355
- In a negative sense: appalling, horrifying, shocking; (specifically, archaic) abnormal, freakish, monstrous, unnatural.
- [H]e [Thomas Arundell] by his euill counſaile and prodigious ſuggeſtions, craftilye circumuented the king, inducyng him to graunt his letters of pardon to a great traytour the Erle of Arondell his brother [Richard Fitzalan, 4th Earl of Arundel].1569, Richard Grafton, “Richarde the Seconde”, in A Chronicle at Large and Meere History of the Affayres of Englande […], volume II, London: […] Henry Denham, […], for Richarde Tottle and Humffrey...
- Cleanthes alleadged foure cauſes, which might induce man to acknowledge a God, […] the thirde by the terror that the minde of man is ſtroken into, by […] the prodigious ſhapes and vnnaturall formes of men, of beaſtes, of birdes, of fiſhes, of all creatures, […][1578], Iohn Lylly [i.e., John Lyly], “Euphues and Atheos”, in Euphues. The Anatomy of Wyt. […], London: […] [Thomas East] for Gabriell Cawood, […], →OCLC, folio 68, verso
- Very big in extent, quantity, or size; abundant; intense; colossal, huge.
- [T]he figges […] are a fruit for a king, anſvverable to the mightie, huge, and prodigious tree that beareth it.1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book XII.] Of Certain Thornes and Fig-trees of India.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The...
- This Urſula is ſaid to have carried over out of Britain, eleven thouſand Maids of prime quality, beſides threeſcore thouſand of meaner rank, (ſeventy one thouſand in all, a prodigious number,) to be married to ſo many in little Britain in France. Prepoſterous in my mind, to proffer themſelves, and...a. 1662 (date written), Thomas Fuller, “Cornwall”, in The History of the Worthies of England, London: […] J[ohn] G[rismond,] W[illiam] L[eybourne] and W[illiam] G[odbid], published 1662, →OCLC, page...
- Having the nature of an omen or portent; ominous, portentous.
- [T]he blots of natures hand / Shall not in their iſſue ſtand. / Neuer mole, hare-lippe, nor ſcarre, / Nor marke prodigious, ſuch as are / Deſpiſed in natiuitie, / Shall vpon their children be.c. 1595–1596 (date written), William Shakespeare, A Midsommer Nights Dreame. […] (First Quarto), London: […] [Richard Bradock] for Thomas Fisher, […], published 1600, →OCLC, [Act V, scene i]...
- [T]here happened a prodigious token to Denis tyrant of Sicilie [i.e., Dionysius I of Syracuse], vvhen hee vvas expelled and depoſed from that mightie ſtate of his, and this it vvas; The ſea vvater vvithin one day in the haven grevv to be freſh and ſvveet.1601, C[aius] Plinius Secundus [i.e., Pliny the Elder], “[Book II.] The Power of the Sunne, and why the Sea is Salt.”, in Philemon Holland, transl., The Historie of the World. Commonly Called, The...
- Synonyms:
- foreboding, inauspicious, augurous, baleful, bodeful, boding, dire, disastrous, divine, fatal
Adverb
prodigious (comparative more prodigious, superlative most prodigious)
- Synonym of prodigiously (“in a prodigious manner”).
- I have fewer books than leisure to read them, and I have a prodigious big appetite.1863 November – 1864 February, [Elizabeth] Gaskell, “Cousin Phillis. Part I.”, in Cousin Phillis. And Other Tales. […], illustrated edition, London: Smith, Elder and Co., […], published 1865, →OCLC...
- Synonyms:
- prodigiously
prodigious meaning in Tamil, Urdu, Bengali and Malayalam
prodigious in Tamil
- வியப்புக்குரிய, அதிசயமான, அளவுமிக்க, மிகப்பெரிய, இயற்கையை மீறிய
prodigious in Urdu
- عجیب, عظیم, پرہول
prodigious in Bengali
- বিস্ময়কর, বিশাল
prodigious in Malayalam
- അത്ഭുതമായ, വളരെ വലിയ, അത്ഭുതാകാരമായ, അതിശയകരമായ
More languagesFewer languages
- prodigious in Kannada
- ಅಸಾಧಾರಣವಾದ, ಪ್ರಚಂಡವಾದ, ಅದ್ಭುತವಾದ, ಅಗಾಧವಾದ
Examples of prodigious in a sentence
- Prodigious! hovv the Things Proteſt, Proteſt: / Peace, Fools! or Gonſon vvill for Papiſts ſeize you, / If once he catch you at your Jeſu!1733, “an Eminent Hand” [pseudonym; Alexander Pope], The Impertinent, or A Visit to the Court. A Satyr. […], London: […] John Wil[f]ord...
- A prodigious quantity of insects of all sorts (but no mosquitoes) assailed us at our evening meal.1930, André Gide, “Back Again”, in Dorothy Bussy, transl., Travels in the Congo […], red seal edition, New York, N.Y.: Modern Age Books...
- [T]hrough many a dark and drearie Vaile / They paſs'd, and many a Region dolorous, / […] / VVhere all life dies, death lives, and nature breeds, / Perverſe, all monſtrous, all prodigious things, […]1667, John Milton, “Book II”, in Paradise Lost. […], London: […] [Samuel Simmons], and are to be sold by Peter Parker […]; [a]nd by Robert...
- Horrible things have been in this wild world, / Prodigious mixtures, and confusions strange / Of good and ill; and worse have been conceived / Than ever there was found a heart to do.1819, Percy B[ysshe] Shelley, The Cenci: A Tragedy, […], [Livorno], Italy: […] [Percy B. Shelley] for C[harles] and J[ames] Ollier […]...
Synonyms of prodigious
30 more synonymsFewer synonyms
- discrepant
- eerie
- eldritch
- errant
- exceptional
- extraordinary
- fey
- forby
- freak
- freakish
- freaky
- funny
- heteroclite
- hinky
- incongruous
- incongruitous
- irregular
- kooky
- nonstandard
- odd
- outlandish
- out of the ordinary
- outré
- peculiar
- quaint
- queer
- queer as a clockwork orange
- queer as a nine bob note
- queer as a three dollar bill
- queer as a coot
Antonyms
- average
- medial
- basic
- bog-standard
- common
- commonplace
- common-and-garden
- common-or-garden
- congruent
- consistent
10 more antonymsFewer antonyms
Forms of prodigious
| Adjective | |
|---|---|
| comparative | more prodigious |
| superlative | most prodigious |
| Adverb | |
| comparative | more prodigious |
| superlative | most prodigious |
Origin of prodigious
The adjective is derived from Late Middle English prodigious (“warning of disaster, portentous”), from Latin prōdigiōsus (“strange, unnatural; marvellous, wonderful, prodigious”), from prōdigium (“prophetic sign, omen, portent; prodigy, wonder”) + -ōsus (suffix meaning ‘full of’ forming adjectives from nouns). Prōdigium is derived from prō- (prefix denoting a forward direction, something before or prior, or prominence) + aiō (“to say, speak”) (ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *h₁eǵ- (“to say”)) + -ium (suffix forming abstract nouns). The English word is analysable as prodigy + -ous. The adverb is derived from the adjective. Cognates * Catalan prodigiós * Middle French prodigieux (“portentous”) (modern French prodigieux) * Italian prodigioso * Portuguese prodigioso * Spanish prodigioso
Words formed from prodigious
Words that rhyme with prodigious
Questions about prodigious
- What does prodigious mean?
- Prodigious means extraordinarily amazing.
- What is prodigious in Tamil?
- Prodigious in Tamil is வியப்புக்குரிய, அதிசயமான, அளவுமிக்க. See Prodigious meaning in Tamil.
- How do you use prodigious in a sentence?
- Prodigious! hovv the Things Proteſt, Proteſt: / Peace, Fools! or Gonſon vvill for Papiſts ſeize you, / If once he catch you at your Jeſu!
- What part of speech is prodigious?
- Prodigious can be an adjective or an adverb.
- How do you pronounce prodigious?
- Prodigious is pronounced /pɹəˈdɪd͡ʒəs/ (UK).
Words near prodigious in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: prodigious (page history and authors); prodigious (Tamil Wiktionary) (page history and authors); prodigious (Urdu Wiktionary) (page history and authors); prodigious (Bengali Wiktionary) (page history and authors); prodigious (Malayalam Wiktionary) (page history and authors); prodigious (Kannada Wiktionary) (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
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Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-prodigious.ogg.
Cite this entry: “prodigious.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/prodigious. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.