prodigious

adjective

prə-ˈdi-jəs How to pronounce prodigious (audio)
Definition of prodigiousnext
1
as in wonderful
causing wonder or astonishment stage magicians performing prodigious feats for rapt audiences

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in tremendous
unusually large a prodigious supply of canned food kept in the basement for emergencies

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word prodigious different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of prodigious are monstrous, stupendous, and tremendous. While all these words mean "extremely impressive," prodigious suggests a marvelousness exceeding belief, usually in something felt as going far beyond a previous maximum (as of goodness, greatness, intensity, or size).

made a prodigious effort and rolled the stone aside

When is monstrous a more appropriate choice than prodigious?

The meanings of monstrous and prodigious largely overlap; however, monstrous implies a departure from the normal (as in size, form, or character) and often carries suggestions of deformity, ugliness, or fabulousness.

the monstrous waste of the project

When would stupendous be a good substitute for prodigious?

The words stupendous and prodigious are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, stupendous implies a power to stun or astound, usually because of size, numbers, complexity, or greatness beyond description.

a stupendous volcanic eruption

When might tremendous be a better fit than prodigious?

While the synonyms tremendous and prodigious are close in meaning, tremendous may imply a power to terrify or inspire awe.

the tremendous roar of the cataract

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of prodigious Access to a Gulfstream G650 jet from the fleet of the Qatari government made Infantino's prodigious jet-setting possible. — ABC News, 19 July 2026 Access to a Gulfstream G650 jet from the fleet of the Qatari government made Infantino’s prodigious jet-setting possible. — Rio Yamat, Fortune, 19 July 2026 Ossoff has long ranked among the nation’s most prodigious political fundraisers. — Greg Bluestein, AJC.com, 15 July 2026 Born to a wealthy family in Port-au-Prince, the young Chevalier has a prodigious talent for soccer. — The New Yorker, New Yorker, 13 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for prodigious
Recent Examples of Synonyms for prodigious
  1. wonderful
  2. tremendous
  3. astonishing
  4. vast
  5. amazing
  6. enormous
  7. miraculous
  8. huge
Adjective
  • Nature aside, Cape Town boasts a wonderful juxtaposition of old world architecture and contemporary design across its vibrant neighborhoods.
    — Paul Jebara, Condé Nast Traveler, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Both films had wonderful ensembles, ingenious writing and an unmistakable sense of occasion.
    — Seth Abramovitch, HollywoodReporter, 26 Aug. 2026
Definition of wonderful
Adjective
  • Keenum, in his 15th season, remains a tremendous resource for both younger quarterbacks.
    — Dan Wiederer, New York Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • First of all, with its WFI, it's meant to process a tremendous amount of data in relatively short periods of time in order to survey gigantic zones of our cosmos.
    — Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of tremendous
Adjective
  • The victory extended trainer Graham Motion’s astonishing summer stakes streak at Del Mar to eight wins since 2022.
    — Jay Posner, Los Angeles Times, 30 Aug. 2026
  • Correspondent Lee Cowan looks back at the astonishing career of the queen of country music.
    — David Morgan, CBS News, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of astonishing
Adjective
  • South Florida’s vast Caribbean diaspora knows that consuls general come and go.
    — Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 27 Aug. 2026
  • Dark matter and dark energy, also not yet directly observed, together are the source of the vast majority of energy in the universe, but their physical natures are unknown.
    — Don Figer, The Conversation, 27 Aug. 2026
Definition of vast
Adjective
  • Christina has amazing taste and loves color but also has a sense of restraint.
    — Ella Field, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 Aug. 2026
  • For all the robots’ amazing (if unsettling) feats, let’s be real—their hijinks are too funny not to watch on repeat.
    — Andrew Nusca, Fortune, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of amazing
Adjective
  • That's an enormous battery for a PHEV – sufficiently large that for many owners, the gasoline engine could remain largely dormant during normal commuting.
    — New Atlas, New Atlas, 29 Aug. 2026
  • The sport generates enormous media and sponsorship revenues, drives conference realignment and finances many of the other sports that universities operate.
    — Joshua Hong, Fortune, 29 Aug. 2026
Definition of enormous
Adjective
  • Over the next two decades, Evergrande built many of the homes, office blocks and urban structures that powered China’s miraculous economic growth.
    — Sylvie Zhuang, CNN Money, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Morgan suffered a traumatic brain injury during the crash and was in the hospital for months, but has made a miraculous recovery.
    — Diana Pearl, PEOPLE, 15 Aug. 2026
Definition of miraculous
Adjective
  • Golden Tempo, meanwhile, assumed his position near the back of the field as his deep closing style has delivered huge glory in the past.
    — Danny Brewer, Forbes.com, 30 Aug. 2026
  • At least 788 people have been killed in Nepal following huge torrents along the Nepal-China border on Wednesday, according to local police.
    — Bhadra Sharma, CNN Money, 30 Aug. 2026
Definition of huge

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Cite this Entry

“Prodigious.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prodigious. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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