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Synonym Chooser

How does the noun genius differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of genius are aptitude, bent, faculty, gift, knack, and talent. While all these words mean "a special ability for doing something," genius suggests impressive inborn creative ability.

has no great genius for poetry

When is aptitude a more appropriate choice than genius?

The words aptitude and genius are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, aptitude implies a natural liking for some activity and the likelihood of success in it.

a mechanical aptitude

How do bent and aptitude relate to one another, in the sense of genius?

Bent is nearly equal to aptitude but it stresses inclination perhaps more than specific ability.

a family with an artistic bent

Where would faculty be a reasonable alternative to genius?

While the synonyms faculty and genius are close in meaning, faculty applies to an innate or less often acquired ability for a particular accomplishment or function.

a faculty for remembering names

When would gift be a good substitute for genius?

While in some cases nearly identical to genius, gift often implies special favor by God or nature.

the gift of singing beautifully

When is it sensible to use knack instead of genius?

The meanings of knack and genius largely overlap; however, knack implies a comparatively minor but special ability making for ease and dexterity in performance.

the knack of getting along

When could talent be used to replace genius?

The words talent and genius can be used in similar contexts, but talent suggests a marked natural ability that needs to be developed.

has enough talent to succeed

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of genius Presenting all these songs here as, simply, more genius work from a genius sells the complexity of his story short. Jackson McHenry, Vulture, 10 Mar. 2025 The Accountant 2 features Affleck reprising the role of autistic accountant and mathematical genius Christian Wolff, who makes a living by freelancing for dangerous criminals. Shania Russell, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2025 To her, forging an artist is an act of resurrection that brings a dead genius back to life for a few fleeting moments. Christian Zilko, IndieWire, 9 Mar. 2025 London is usually evocative, bursting with creative genius. Julian Randall, Essence, 3 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for genius
Recent Examples of Synonyms for genius
Noun
  • See, the people behind the martech need to be wizards a bit, too.
    Barbara Puszkiewicz-Cimino, Forbes, 7 Mar. 2025
  • The new wands, now on sale, come with the ability to be personalized with a wizard name, lead to exclusive adventures and build House Points, a daily competition among Hogwarts’ wizards.
    Dewayne Bevil, Orlando Sentinel, 4 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The Sweden international’s talent has never been in question but those who have worked with the Newcastle striker describe a unique, complex personality — someone who is ridiculously driven, yet can be laid-back and withdrawn, all at once.
    Chris Waugh, The Athletic, 14 Mar. 2025
  • Each week throughout March, talent—everyone from rising beauty brand founders, to behind-the-scenes PR mavens—will discuss their career journeys, biggest inspirations, and more.
    India Espy-Jones, Essence, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • This is different from notions of strengths and weaknesses, personality, aptitude or things like that.
    Michael B. Horn, Forbes, 9 Mar. 2025
  • So having that mental aptitude to learn and pick up schemes could help a good and creative coach get a ton out of him.
    Pat Leonard, New York Daily News, 27 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Alex has to hold on with both hands in order to keep her preggo self in one spot, but we’re distracted from the terror by her voiceover of the fan fiction — er, journal to Spencer — that she’s been keeping.
    Kimberly Roots, TVLine, 2 Mar. 2025
  • The adaptive leader integrates I (self), we (others) and it (task and purpose) viewpoints.
    Hylke Faber, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • This year marks the first significant new manifestation of enterprise AI for healthcare.
    Simon Mainwaring, Forbes, 27 Feb. 2025
  • While Trump’s opponents may view that attitude as one more manifestation of his autocratic instincts, his complaint is grounded in legitimate concerns about the separation of powers that presidents of both parties have raised for many years.
    Jacob Sullum, Orange County Register, 24 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • Moretti's aware of Ariel's intellect and always wants to be one step ahead of her, making for an enthralling game of cat and mouse.
    Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
  • The versatile Chestnut, 56, leads with intellect, charm and six-pack abs as Dr. John Watson, the beloved colleague of the apparently deceased Sherlock Holmes, in CBS' modern series.
    Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 18 Feb. 2025
Noun
  • His fame-making Oprah appearance Unlike many academics, Oz felt comfortable in the spotlight and seemed to have a knack for distilling complicated medical jargon and ideas into language that was easy for people without medical expertise to understand.
    Alice Park, TIME, 13 Mar. 2025
  • On The Boys, Jack has a knack for barely reacting to all the horrifying sights his character encounters on a regular basis.
    Brian Davids, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2025
Noun
  • The combination of IoT and AI enables connected devices to collect, analyze and act on data in real-time.
    Rahul Saluja, Forbes, 26 Dec. 2024
  • Just in time for Christmas, certain members of Congress are hard at work in their policy shops, fashioning a massive lump of cybersecurity coal with which to gift American users of electronic devices.
    David Williams, National Review, 26 Dec. 2024

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Cite this Entry

“Genius.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/genius. Accessed 25 Mar. 2025.

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