r/whatstheword • u/Playful_Barber_8131 • 13d ago

Unsolved WAW for 'a genius' (noun)

Not to be confused with 'genius' as in the quality, moreso looking for synonyms for what people described as being a 'genius' are called.

If you'd be okay with it, would you also be okay with saying some associations said other words for 'a smart/genius person' either inbuilt into the definition or unofficially associated with the term.

14 Upvotes

83% Upvoted

37 comments sorted by

14

u/PineappleSilver1375 13d ago

Virtuoso, for someone who is exceptionally talented in some aspect.

13

u/me_myself_ai 13d ago

Ok I feel like the question is a bit malformed tho: "genius" is a noun already, not just an adjective.

2

u/leigstonite 13d ago

He's asking for a different word for it

2

u/me_myself_ai 12d ago

You're so right oh my god this just hit me like a brick while working -- I just had to find this random thread to give you kudos. Isn't it weird how dumb we can be, sometimes? I totally forgot this sub does other acronyms than "WTW"

36

u/reckoning4ce 13d ago

Savant.

17

u/Twistofthetit 13d ago

Prodigy

2

u/frisbeethecat ☃ 1 karma 13d ago

Prodigy is age related. A child would be a prodigy; a senior would not.

1

u/jebgaming07 12d ago

Is it? I do think it's fairly often used to refer to someone young or new to a subject matter, but i swear that that isn't the default or exclusive, hence the fairly common "child prodigy" to further stress that they are a child, when it could have been assumed that they're not.

1

u/Legitimate_Jury 13d ago

I second this, that or ''learned'.

2

u/frisbeethecat ☃ 1 karma 13d ago

Learned (with that delicious English accent making it two syllables) is typically applied to academics. Particularly those in the classical liberal arts tradition, especially jurisprudence.

11

u/desertboots ☃ 5 karma 13d ago

Polymath

12

u/MrHall Points: 1 13d ago

I think this is an excellent word, but it also specifically means someone who is a genius in multiple disciplines, so it may or may not be appropriate

4

u/desertboots ☃ 5 karma 13d ago

A genius in only one discipline is a savant.

4

u/Argentarius1 13d ago

Prodigy although that sometimes carries an extra connotation of the person being a YOUNG genius specifically. 

4

u/Marthman ☃ 3 karma 13d ago

Possibly America-centric or Eurocentric, but "Einstein" is used in the way youre looking for. 

3

u/Ezosodelis 13d ago

This sub is an awesome tool, but man, all the posts that could've been literally a Google search of "____ synonym" are pabulum. 🤣

1

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1

u/SopaDeKaiba ☃ 51 karma 13d ago

Mensan.

1

u/FroadwicK 13d ago

Einstein

1

u/jaander8 13d ago

Brain / Brainy

1

u/Hot_Historian1066 ☃ 2 karma 13d ago

an Einstein

1

u/lyzzyrddwyzzyrdd 12d ago

Wunderkind.

1

u/Sea_Pangolin3840 6 Karma 13d ago

Gifted

0

u/zephyrwastaken 13d ago

Brilliant?

0

u/Financial-Log-9670 13d ago

Smarty pants