genius

[jeen-yuhs] / ˈdʒin yəs /

NOUN

gift of high intellect

Synonyms

STRONGEST

ability accomplishment acumen aptitude brilliance flair imagination ingenuity inspiration intelligence inventiveness originality prodigy prowess talent wisdom

STRONG

acuteness aptness astuteness bent brain capability capacity creativity discernment endowment expertise faculty grasp head inclination knack perspicacity power precocity propensity sagacity understanding virtuosity

WEAK

maturity percipience reach

Antonyms

STRONGEST

ignorance inability incapacity ineptitude ineptness stupidity weakness

STRONG

incompetence misunderstanding

WEAK

idiocy imbecility

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Seven months ago, former Energy Secretary Rick Perry described as genius an idea from Texas energy billionaire Toby Neugebauer to build the world’s largest data center on a dusty grazing lease near Amarillo.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 16, 2026

But Mozart’s genius obliterates Salieri’s limited talent so utterly that the elder musician is bewitched by it.

From Salon • May 16, 2026

I didn’t like myself very much, and I thought that someone who didn’t like me must be a genius and that I could overcome my inherent ineptitude by getting them to like me.

From Los Angeles Times • May 11, 2026

"And all of us who went on to have careers in natural history in this city benefited from the genius of this man," Scholey adds.

From BBC • May 9, 2026

“My favorite genius and future Nobel Prize winner.”

From "The Miscalculations of Lightning Girl" by Stacy McAnulty

Vocabulary lists containing genius

Language Gone Wrong: Words That Started Out as Errors

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Commonly Misspelled Words, List 1

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Albert Einstein

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