Genius is very great ability or skill in a particular subject or activity.
This is the mark of her real genius as a designer.
The man had genius and had made his mark in the aviation world.
Its very title is a stroke of genius.
Synonyms: brilliance, ability, talent, capacity More Synonyms of genius
2. countable noun
A genius is a highly talented, creative, or intelligent person.
Chaplin was not just a genius, he was among the most influential figures in filmhistory.
More Synonyms of genius
genius in British English
(ˈdʒiːnɪəs, -njəs)
nounWord forms: plural-uses or for senses 5, 6 genii (ˈdʒiːnɪˌaɪ)
1.
a person with exceptional ability, esp of a highly original kind
2.
such ability or capacity
Mozart's musical genius
3.
the distinctive spirit or creative nature of a nation, era, language, etc
4.
a person considered as exerting great influence of a certain sort
an evil genius
5. Roman mythology
a.
the guiding spirit who attends a person from birth to death
b.
the guardian spirit of a place, group of people, or institution
6. Arabian mythology(usually plural)
a demon; jinn
adjective
7. informal
clever and original
Word origin
C16: from Latin, from gignere to beget
genius in American English
(ˈdʒinjəs; also, esp. for 1-2, ˈdʒiniəs)
nounWord forms: pluralˈgeniuses
1.
a. [oftenG-]
according to ancient Roman belief, a guardian spirit assigned to a person at birth; tutelary deity
b. [oftenG-]
the guardian spirit of any person, place, etc.
c.
either of two spirits, one good and one evil, supposed to influence one's destiny
d.
a person considered as having strong influence over another
2.
jinni
3.
the personification of a quality
4.
particular character or essential spirit or nature of a nation, place, age, etc.
5.
a great natural ability (for a particular activity); strong disposition or inclination
6.
a.
great mental capacity and inventive ability; esp., great and original creative ability in some art, science, etc.
b.
a person having such capacity or ability
c. Popularly
any person with a very high IQ
SIMILAR WORDS: ˈtalent
Word origin
L, guardian spirit, natural ability, genius < base of genere, gignere, to produce: see genus
Examples of 'genius' in a sentence
genius
It didn't take a genius to figure out that something wasn't right.
Stuart Harrison BETTER THAN THIS (2002)
He'd be pleased to see Guthrie, he was even more pleased that the unknown genius sounded willing to talk turkey.
MacLeod, Charlotte SOMETHING IN THE WATER (2002)
The Kaisho wanted him to continue the evolution of the Colonel's `stroke of genius ".
Lustbader, Eric FLOATING CITY (2002)
Quotations
Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspirationThomas Alva EdisonLife
When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against himJonathan SwiftThoughts on Various Subjects
The true genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to some particular directionSamuel JohnsonLives of the English Poets
Genius is ... the child of imitationJoshua ReynoldsDiscourses on Art
If I have seen further [than other men] it is by standing upon the shoulders of giantsIsaac Newtonletter to Robert Hooke
Genius must be born, and never can be taughtJohn DrydenTo Mr. Congreve
In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughtsRalph Waldo EmersonSelf-Reliance
I have nothing to declare but my geniusOscar Wilde
Genius does what it must, And Talent does what it canOwen MeredithLast Words of a Sensitive Second-rate Poet
It takes a lot of time to be a genius, you have to sit around so much doing nothing, really doing nothingGertrude SteinEverybody's Autobiography
Genius is only a greater aptitude for patienceComte de Buffon
In other languages
genius
British English: genius /ˈdʒiːnɪəs; -njəs/ NOUN
Genius is very great ability or skill in something.
...his genius for chess.
American English: genius
Arabic: عَبْقَرِيّ
Brazilian Portuguese: gênio
Chinese: 天才
Croatian: genij
Czech: génius
Danish: geni
Dutch: genie
European Spanish: genio
Finnish: nero
French: génie
German: Genie
Greek: μεγαλοφυΐα
Italian: genio
Japanese: 天才
Korean: 천재
Norwegian: geni
Polish: geniusz
European Portuguese: génio
Romanian: talent
Russian: гений
Latin American Spanish: genio
Swedish: geni
Thai: อัจฉริยบุคคล
Turkish: dahi zeki
Ukrainian: геній
Vietnamese: thiên tài
Chinese translation of 'genius'
genius
(ˈdʒiːnɪəs)
n
(c) (= person) 天才 (tiāncái) (位, wèi)
(u) (= ability, skill) 天赋(賦) (tiānfù)
a stroke of genius天才之举(舉) (tiāncái zhījǔ)
1 (noun)
Definition
such ability
This is the mark of her genius as a designer.
Synonyms
brilliance
His brilliance and genius will always remain.
ability
Her drama teacher spotted her ability.
talent
Both her children have a talent for music.
capacity
Our capacity for giving care, love and attention is limited.
gift
As a youth he discovered a gift for teaching.
bent
a bent for natural history
faculty
a faculty for self-preservation
excellence
endowment
individuals with higher-than-average intellectual endowments
flair
She has a flair for languages.
inclination
She set out to follow her artistic inclinations.
knack
He's got the knack of getting people to listen.
propensity
She hadn't reckoned on his propensity for violence.
aptitude
He discovered an aptitude for working in accounts.
cleverness
The artist demonstrates a cleverness with colours and textures.
creative power
GEnys (textmessaging)
2 (noun)
Definition
a person with exceptional ability in a particular subject or activity
a 14-year-old mathematical genius
Synonyms
master
He is a master at blocking progress.
expert
an expert in computer graphics
mastermind
She was the mastermind behind the plan.
brain (informal)
I've never been much of a brain myself.
buff (informal)
She is a real film buff.
intellect (informal)
My boss isn't a great intellect.
adept
He was an adept at getting people to talk confidentially to him.
maestro
the maestro's delightful first show
virtuoso
China's foremost piano virtuoso
boffin (British, informal)
a computer boffin
whiz (informal)
hotshot (informal)
rocket scientist (informal)
wonk (informal)
brainbox
maven (US)
master-hand
fundi (South Africa)
The local fundi are wonderfully adept and have created a car adapted to hunting.
GEnys (textmessaging)
Opposites
fool
,
idiot
,
dunce
,
imbecile
,
simpleton
,
dolt
,
half-wit
,
nincompoop
Quotations
Genius is one per cent inspiration and ninety-nine per cent perspiration [Thomas Alva Edison – Life]When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this sign, that the dunces are all in confederacy against him [Jonathan Swift – Thoughts on Various Subjects]The true genius is a mind of large general powers, accidentally determined to some particular direction [Samuel Johnson – Lives of the English Poets]Genius is ... the child of imitation [Joshua Reynolds – Discourses on Art]If I have seen further [than other men] it is by standing upon the shoulders of giants [Isaac Newton – letter to Robert Hooke]Genius must be born, and never can be taught [John Dryden – To Mr. Congreve]In every work of genius we recognize our own rejected thoughts [Ralph Waldo Emerson – Self-Reliance]I have nothing to declare but my genius [Oscar Wilde]Genius does what it must, And Talent does what it can [Owen Meredith – Last Words of a Sensitive Second-rate Poet]It takes a lot of time to be a genius, you have to sit around so much doing nothing, really doing nothing [Gertrude Stein – Everybody's Autobiography]Genius is only a greater aptitude for patience [Comte de Buffon]
Additional synonyms
in the sense of ability
Definition
great skill or competence
Her drama teacher spotted her ability.
Synonyms
skill,
talent,
know-how (informal),
gift,
expertise,
faculty,
flair,
competence,
energy,
accomplishment,
knack,
aptitude,
proficiency,
dexterity,
cleverness,
potentiality,
adroitness,
adeptness,
expertness,
force,
craft,
endowment
in the sense of adept
Definition
a person skilled in something
He was an adept at getting people to talk confidentially to him.
Synonyms
expert,
master,
genius,
buff (informal),
whizz (informal),
hotshot (informal),
rocket scientist (informal),
dab hand (British, informal),
maven (US)
in the sense of aptitude
Definition
natural tendency or ability
He discovered an aptitude for working in accounts.