genius

I

(New American Roget's College Thesaurus)

n. spirit, pixy; brilliance, intelligence; talent, bent, gift, ability. See skill, intellect, mythical deities.

II

(Roget's IV) n.

1. [The highest degree of intellectual capacity]

Syn. ability, talent, intellect, brains, intelligence, brilliance, endowment, precocity, inspiration, imagination, gift, aptitude, faculty, propensity, wisdom, astuteness, penetration, grasp, discernment, acumen, acuteness, percipience, power, capacity, capability, accomplishment, sagacity, subtlety, perspicacity, understanding, reach, sympathy, daemon, afflatus, enthusiasm, creative gift, knack, bent, turn, flair.

2. [One having genius, sense 1]

Syn. gifted person, prodigy, adept, virtuoso, master, maestro, mastermind, intellectual, Einstein, mental giant, Wunderkind (German), brain*, intellect*, rocket scientist*, whiz*, wizard*; see also artist 2 , author 1 , master 3 .

3. [Character or characteristics]

Syn. nature, taste, disposition; see character 1 , 2 .

See Synonym Study at talent .

III

(Roget's 3 Superthesaurus) n.

1. mental giant *brain, *whiz, intellectual, *wunderkind, prodigy, savant, *Edison, master, *Einstein, expert, virtuoso, *egghead, *rocket scientist.

2. great ability or intellect talent, gift, facility, knack, endowment, brilliance, intelligence, astuteness, acumen, understanding, insight, creativity, imagination, aptitiude, brains, smarts, flair, wisdom, ingenuity, propensity, grasp, inventiveness. ''Nothing more than our common faculties refined to a greater intensity.''—Benjamin Haydon. ''Nothing but labor and diligence.''—William Hogarth. ''Perseverance in disguise.''—Henry Austin. ''Originality, the opening of new frontiers.''—Arthur Koestler.

ANT.: 1. moron, imbecile, ignoramus, idiot

IV

(Roget's Thesaurus II) noun 1. Liveliness and vivacity of imagination: brilliance, brilliancy, fire, inspiration. See GOOD. 2. An innate capability: aptitude, aptness, bent, faculty, flair, gift, head, instinct, knack, talent, turn. See ABILITY, APPROACH.