Prodigy and Protégé

Commonly Confused Words

The noun prodigy refers to a highly talented young person or to a wondrous event.

The noun protégé refers to someone whose training or career is advanced by an influential person.

Examples

  • "Everybody hates a prodigy, detests an old head on young shoulders." (Erasmus)​
  • Abraham Lincoln was a protégé of Henry Clay, the Kentuckian who had orchestrated the great Missouri Compromise of 1820-21.

Practice

(a) Stephen Sondheim, a _____ of Oscar Hammerstein II, composed the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy.
(b) Gary Burton, the one-time teenage _____, is still an astonishing master of the vibes after 40 years.

Answers

(a) Stephen Sondheim, a protégé of Oscar Hammerstein II, composed the lyrics for West Side Story and Gypsy.
(b) Gary Burton, the one-time teenage prodigy, is still an astonishing master of the vibes after 40 years.

Format
mla apa chicago
Your Citation
Nordquist, Richard. "Prodigy and Protégé." ThoughtCo, Jan. 29, 2020, thoughtco.com/prodigy-and-protege-1689471. Nordquist, Richard. (2020, January 29). Prodigy and Protégé. Retrieved from https://www.thoughtco.com/prodigy-and-protege-1689471 Nordquist, Richard. "Prodigy and Protégé." ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/prodigy-and-protege-1689471 (accessed March 19, 2024).