wunderkind

[ voon-der-kind, wuhn-; German voon-duhr-kint ]

noun

, plural wun·der·kinds, German wun·der·kin·der [voon, -d, uh, r, -kin-d, uh, r].

1. a wonder child or child prodigy.
2. a person who succeeds, especially in business, at a comparatively early age.

wunderkind

/ ˈwʌndəˌkɪnd; ˈvʊndərˌkɪnt /

noun

1. a child prodigy
2. a person who is exceptionally successful in his field while still young

Word History and Origins

Origin of wunderkind¹

1890–95; < German, equivalent to Wunder wonder + Kind child

Word History and Origins

Origin of wunderkind¹

C20: German, literally: wonder child

Example Sentences

For the devastated people of the region, news of a local baseball wunderkind making it in Japan’s big leagues was a balm.

From Los Angeles Times

Set against the ominous beauty of the Swiss Alps, the film is a post-WWII-set art thriller about a quantum physics wunderkind and a mysterious jazz pianist.

From Los Angeles Times

At 14, the wunderkind performed for then-First Lady Michelle Obama at the White House as part of a student delegation of musicians from the Delta Blues Museum.

From Los Angeles Times

There’s not much one needs to say to explain the excitement over a new book by Rooney, the Irish wunderkind whose first novel is the unbelievably perfect “Conversations With Friends.”

From Los Angeles Times

He recalls being haunted by a Los Angeles Times article published at the time that questioned whether he was, in fact, “the real deal” and the industry’s new wunderkind.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• genius
• sensation
• whiz
• wizard