I. ˈwəndə(r) noun
( -s )
Etymology: Middle English wonder, wunder, from Old English wundor; akin to Old High German wuntar wonder, Old Norse undr
1. : a cause of astonishment or surprise : something that excites wonder : marvel
fingers and toes are apparent wonders to the little baby — C.S.Kilby
as
a. : a fact or circumstance giving occasion to be surprised
it's a wonder he wasn't killed
no wonder he left after being insulted so
the wonder is that he was nominated at all — J.A.Huston
small wonder that all this extraordinary activity … would have exhausted his vitality — H.W.Wiley
b. : an extraordinary deed or occurrence attributed to supernatural agency : miracle
performed among you … with signs and wonders and mighty works — 2 Cor 12:12 (Revised Standard Version)
c. : something extraordinarily effective : a marvelous result or achievement
a new hairdo that did wonders for her looks
free individuals working together … can accomplish wonders — J.C.Penney
d. : a person or thing that excites amazed admiration
a secretary who is a wonder of efficiency
the pyramids and other wonders of the ancient world
2. : the quality of exciting amazed admiration
the beauty and wonder of some of these lovely melodies — Warwick Braithwaite
the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love — Isaac Watts
3.
a. : a state of fascinated or questioning attention before what strikes one as strange beyond understanding : an attitude or feeling of amazed admiration or nascent, perplexed, or bewildered curiosity aroused by the extraordinary and unaccountable : a sense of mystery : marveling
stood struck with wide-eyed wonder before the colossal statue
two impulses in man: one is to accept and take for granted; the other is to look with inquiry and wonder — J.E.Park
looked at each other in silent wonder — G.D.Brown
b. : a feeling of doubt or uncertainty : a curious concern
your wonder as to what will become of your shares when the banks are nationalized — G.B.Shaw
4. obsolete : great esteem : admiration
5. : a twisted cruller
Synonyms:
marvel , prodigy , miracle , phenomenon : wonder usually designates what excites surprise, astonishment, or amazement typically by its perfection, greatness, or inexplicableness
the wonders of Creation — L.P.Smith
she is a wonder at her job — R.E.Roberts
a wonder how many wild animals survive
marvel usually designates what excites surprise or astonishment by its extraordinariness, strangeness, or curiousness
the endurance of the inequalities of life by the poor is the marvel of human society — J.A.Froude
their hypocrisy is a perpetual marvel to me — W.M.Thackeray
the marvel of the play is the bewildering rapid chaotic action — T.S.Eliot
a marvel on the flying trapeze
prodigy designates what makes one marvel because of its oddness or unusualness, especially in degree of skill, endurance, size, or accomplishment
a prodigy of wastefulness, corruption, ignorance, and indolence — T.B.Macaulay
performed prodigies in transporting to France a gigantic army — G.W.Johnson
women performing prodigies of endurance, bravery, and hope — Newsweek
the Shoshones feared … this prodigy, the first white man they had ever seen — A.J.Toynbee
a land of prodigies: mountains, precipices, cataracts, dead craters, snowy ascents, vertiginous cliffs — American Guide Series: California
miracle applies to something very unusual, especially so contrary to normal expectations that it seems to surpass human comprehension and often approaches the supernatural
their conversations are miracles of studied, stilted eloquence — B.R.Redman
the ears of an owl are a very miracle of sensitiveness — C.G.D.Roberts
studied constantly long hours that were a miracle of concentration — Adria Langley
the miracle which we call genius — J.L.Lowes
phenomenon , implying something exceptional or extraordinary, sometimes, in informal application to persons, suggests the eccentric or odd
it did snow considerably in Vermont that July, a natural phenomenon that gave Thompson a tremendous reputation — American Guide Series: Vermont
the captain — a phenomenon during prohibition because he was honest — J.F.Dinneen
an American phenomenon, a self-taught mechanical genius — Don Wharton
your nephew Caligula is a phenomenon. He's treacherous, cowardly, lustful, vain, deceitful, and he'll play some very dirty tricks on you before he's done — Robert Graves
in a group of extroverts the introvert will be considered something of a phenomenon
•
- for a wonder
- to a wonder
II. adjective
1. : of an extraordinary character : being such as excites amazed admiration : wonderful , marvelous
a family of chemicals … of such exciting potency that the popular name for them is “ wonder hormones” — D.C.Cooley
wonder fibers and miracle finishes
2. : of or relating to things that excite amazed admiration
a wonder city
a wonder book
the Elizabethan wonder age of adventure — Spectator
3. : having or manifesting magical power
wore a wonder bag around his neck
III. adverb
archaic : wonderfully , amazingly , exceedingly , very
delicate wonder white crystals — Westminster Gazette
IV. verb
( wondered ; wondered ; wondering -d(ə)riŋ ; wonders )
Etymology: Middle English wondren, wundren, from Old English wundrian; akin to Old High German wuntarōn to wonder, Old Norse undra to wonder, Old English wundor wonder
intransitive verb
1.
a. : to be in a state of rapt or questioning attention toward the extraordinary or mysterious : feel or become struck with wonder : marvel
wondered at the delicacy of form and color — W.B.Yeats
though no … rapturous insight troubled her childlike soul, yet she could wonder and gaze — A.J.Munby
b. : to feel or become struck with surprise
couldn't help wondering at the size of the servings
wondered to see them all standing there waiting
shouldn't wonder if he came after all
I wonder … that he keeps that reminder of his sufferings by him — Charles Dickens
2. : to wish to know something : feel curiosity or doubt : query in the mind
wondered as to the feasibility of the plan
said he had found it but you couldn't help wondering
looks up in the dictionary words he wonders about
transitive verb
1. : to be curious or in doubt about : wish to know
wondered why they came
wonder if it will rain
on whom, one wonders, do these expensive weeklies live — Aldous Huxley
: ask or puzzle in one's mind about
wondered what he should do
2. archaic : to look upon with often admiring wonder
I felt all, loved all, wondered all — Charles Lamb
3. dialect : to cause to wonder — usually used in the phrase it wonders me
4. : to make an occasion for wonder — usually used in the phrase to be wondered
it is little to be wondered that her students idolized her