Prodigious
adj.capable, energeticformal
Meaning 1
Remarkably great in amount, scale, or degree.
Reach for it when describing an unusually large output or capacity
The archive contains a prodigious collection of field recordings.
Choose between these
4- everyday
enormous
when sheer size is the relevant fact
not when It says nothing about impressiveness, output, or unusual ability.
- professional
when a person or source produces many works
not when Prolific concerns frequency or number, not necessarily total scale or quality.
- formal
copious
when output or supply is abundant
not when It can imply excess and does not describe ability.
- formal
when scale is vast and difficult to overstate
not when Immense is too broad for a specific rate or tightly measured amount.
Meaning 2
Exceptionally impressive in ability or achievement.
Reach for it when giving elevated praise to demonstrated capacity
Her prodigious memory let her identify every melody after one hearing.
Choose between these
4- warm
when the achievement deserves special notice
not when It is weaker and may praise surprise rather than magnitude.
- professional
when performance clearly exceeds a defined norm
not when It lacks prodigious's suggestion of abundance or astonishing capacity.
- formal
when ability lies far outside the ordinary range
not when Extraordinary can mean unusual without being positive.
- literary
when ability commands respect and perhaps apprehension
not when The word can sound threatening rather than warmly admiring.
Said against
3- meager
- ordinary
- limited
It naturally appears in
3- prodigious talent
Her prodigious talent matured through disciplined ensemble work.
- prodigious amount
The cleanup produced a prodigious amount of material for safe reuse.
- prodigious output
His prodigious output included hundreds of carefully indexed recordings.