wunderkind / noun / wun·der·kind

The word wunderkind is a noun that refers to someone who has achieved a great amount of success at a young age. A wunderkind may refer to a young genius or prodigy ahead of their time. This term also has been used to refer to someone who has exhibited exceptional skill and brilliance in their field early on in their career.

In a Sentence

The head chef is a wunderkind-famous for her made-from-scratch recipes that are now served in five-star restaurants!

I can’t believe that this wunderkind and lead singer is only 18 years old and has the voice of an angel.

I’m so proud of my wunderkind; my son has already accomplished so much in his short life, and he has won hundreds of awards for being outstanding in academics.

Etymology

The etymology of the term “wunderkind” is unknown. One potential source for the word could come from German words that mean “a wonder child.” The term “wunderkind” likely entered the English language sometime in the 1700s. English speakers adopted the word into our language and have used it to describe young people with unusually high intelligence or skill in some area.

Synonyms

Prodigy, Genius

Antonyms

Slacker, Underachiever