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English
Etymology
Clipping of phenomenon (“remarkable occurrence”). American English, c. 1890s.
Pronunciation
Noun
phenom (plural phenoms)
- Someone or something that is phenomenal, especially a promising young player in sports like baseball, American football, basketball, tennis, and golf.
2017, Brandon Isleib, Playing for a Winner, page 77:Managed and shortstopped by George Wright and full of league stalwarts—Joe Start, Paul Hines, and Jim O'rourke—they also had 1-year-old phenom Monte Ward as primary moundsman (teams now generally used multiple pitchers).
2021 September 11, Tim Lewis, “Focused, fearless, unflappable – the teenage stars taking sport by storm”, in The Observer, →ISSN:It is the first all-teen final since 1999 – when neither was born – which saw Serena Williams, 17, beat an 18-year-old Martina Hingis. Teen phenoms were relatively commonplace back then, especially on the women’s side, occasionally on the men’s.
- One who is hip and fashionable.
2013, Ytasha L. Womack, Afrofuturism: The World of Black Sci-Fi and Fantasy Culture, →ISBN, page 105:Jones is a pop-culture phenom whose bold antics, outlandish personality, and dazzling looks defied all norms.
Usage notes
- Often used sarcastically or in jest.
See also