I am looking for a word or group of words to describe someone who just started doing something, but is already very good at it, or a beginner without faults. For example, it could be used in this sentence: "Although Mary had just started playing Tennis, she had already won 3 tournaments; Some could say she was a ______".
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3Perhaps lucky?– BladorthinTheGreyCommented Jun 14, 2018 at 6:36
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A downplaying actor?– m4n0Commented Jun 14, 2018 at 9:49
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3I'd advise against using "pro" here. Colloquially a "pro" is someone who is very good at something, but technically it is short for "professional" meaning "someone who is paid to do something". As you are asking here for a word that does not mean "someone who is paid to do it" I have removed the word "pro" to make your question clearer.– AndyTCommented Jun 14, 2018 at 10:16
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11Perhaps you are thinking of prodigy? "a person, especially a young one, endowed with exceptional qualities or abilities" and "The 16-year-old tennis prodigy is the youngest player ever to reach the Olympic finals." dictionary.cambridge.org/us/dictionary/english/prodigy– BreadCommented Jun 15, 2018 at 1:16
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1@Timothy "a natural" has elided the word "talent" (or similar noun). It's short for "a natural talent" (naturally gifted, natural ability; it implies that things seem to be easy for these people, in a similar vein as how it's naturally easier for dolphins to dive deep and long than for most humans)– seheCommented Jun 18, 2018 at 16:30
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11 Answers
You can use the word "natural" either as an adjective or as a noun, to describe the person and their skill or the person themself.
natural (adjective)
attributive (of a person) having an innate skill or quality.
‘he was a natural entertainer’natural (noun) A person having an innate talent for a particular task or activity.
‘she was a natural for television work’
Oxford Living Dictionaries
Another is the word "gifted".
Having exceptional talent or natural ability.
‘a gifted amateur musician’
Oxford Living Dictionaries
If you want another noun describing the person, then "prodigy"
prodigy
often with modifier A young person with exceptional qualities or abilities.
‘a Russian pianist who was a child prodigy in his day’
Oxford Living Dictionary
More often than not prodigy is used with minors or children.
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11Yes - but if only children can be prodigies, why include "child" in the description? It's most commonly used with children, but because it's more surprising to find a child who can sit down and play a difficult piece of music beautifully the first time than an adult; in the case of the adult, you can choose to assume they had taken lessons at some point, or come up with other similar excuses for their ability.– RDFozzCommented Jun 14, 2018 at 15:28
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15Although this info is already present if you really scrutinize the definitions, I would make it clearer that 'prodigy' is a much stronger term than 'natural'. In OP's example sentence, some could say she was a prodigy, but she's definitely a natural - no doubt about it. Commented Jun 14, 2018 at 16:52
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3@stevesliva I heartily disagree. All of these are excellent options depending on the precise connotations you wish to imply. I agree "natural" seems to fit the example sentence best.– jpmc26Commented Jun 15, 2018 at 5:29
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3Talented beginners might well be gifted prodigies, but only the noun form of "natural" is especially associated with showing early promise (they called that Robert Redford movie about the amazing baseball rookie The Natural rather than The Prodigy or The Gifted Guy for a reason).– 1006aCommented Jun 15, 2018 at 14:45
quick learner
"He was a pragmatist and quick learner. He was skilled at picking up ideas from others and making them his own." (Lawrence M. O’Rourke, Row House to White House, 2012, p.3319)
"The quick learner has what is called in ordinary terminology, the power of concentration. All the available cerebral energy seems to participate in ..." (William Henry Pyle - 1921)
"You had no experience as a woman, but you were full of spirit and a quick learner." (Gary Jonas - 2011)
Also, fast learner
Although Mary had just started playing Tennis, she had already won 3 tournaments; she was a real talent.
talent (noun)
(someone who has) a natural ability to be good at something, especially without being taught
Source: Cambridge Online
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9This may be a common usage of talent in some places, but it may be worth noting that in American English it is more commonly used to say that someone has a talent at something, rather than being a talent– KevinCommented Jun 14, 2018 at 19:11
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Talent is rather something one possesses, instead of 'being a talent'. Not usual in BrEnglish.– TimCommented Jun 18, 2018 at 9:47
phenom
[: phenomenon; especially : a person of phenomenal ability or promise][1]
If an adjective would suffice, I would say that she has a knack for tennis:
1 An acquired or natural skill at doing something.
‘he had a knack for communicating’
answered Jun 14, 2018 at 16:08
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3"knack" isn't an adjective, it's a noun. It is just a noun for a thing the person has rather than a noun that that person is (you have a knack, but you are a natural)– KevinCommented Jun 14, 2018 at 19:09
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That's true. I guess I just meant as long as it's okay that the sentence isn't structured in exactly the same way as the example. Commented Jun 15, 2018 at 2:04
Depending on your context, you might call this person a whiz kid:
a young person who is outstandingly skillful or successful at something.
"a computer whiz kid"
answered Jun 15, 2018 at 0:54
In some contexts, the term rising star might be appropriate.
If Mary was dedicated to her tennis career, and it was understood that she was already gifted for a beginner and on the way to success, it could be used here.
From Merriam-Webster:
rising star: a person or thing that is growing quickly in popularity or importance in a particular field
From Cambridge:
rising star: a person who is likely to be successful
However, it wouldn't be an appropriate term for something less important than a career or primary hobby - for example, if someone succeeded in their first cookery class, but wasn't particularly dedicated to cookery, the term wouldn't be appropriate.
Yet another option: wunderkind
Prodigy works. The comments about prodigy only applies to children are not entirely true. BJ Penn was widely referred to as 'the prodigy' and he learned his craft after highschool.
Precocious is another possibility
In dancing we use "advanced Beginner"
