miraculousadj.adv.n.
/mᵻˈrakjᵿləs/, U.S. /məˈrækjələs/ (in sense A. 4)Brit. /mᵻˈrak(j)ᵿləs/, U.S. /məˈræk(j)ələs/, Scottish English /mᵻˈrak(j)ələs/, /mᵻˈrakləs/, /mᵻˈrɔkjələs/ A. adj.
1.
a. Of the nature of a miracle; produced or effected by a miracle; not explicable by natural laws; supernatural.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > [adjective] > relating to working wonders or miracles > relating to a miracle
miraculous1447
miracled1661
miracular1728
1447 O. Bokenham Lives of Saints (Arun.) (1938) 7147 (MED) Þe quen..hyr purpoos..had kept cloos Tyl she þis myraclous ueniaunce had se.
a1475 Bk. Quinte Essence (1889) 23 (MED) No þing may telle alle þe myraclis vertues þat god haþ maad in oure 5 essence.
1502 tr. Ordynarye of Crysten Men (de Worde) v. ii. sig. nn.iv v These operacyons dyuynes, & maryculousses.
1563 W. Fulke Goodle Gallerye Causes Meteors iv. f. 53v As for that Manna which God rained to the Israelites was altogether miraculous.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Macbeth (1623) iv. iii. 148 A most myraculous worke in this good King. View more context for this quotation
1651 T. Hobbes Leviathan iii. xxxvi. 231 The miraculous power of foretelling what God would bring to passe.
1671 J. Milton Samson Agonistes 587 Why else this strength Miraculous yet remaining in those locks? View more context for this quotation
1704 R. Nelson Compan. Festivals & Fasts i. xii. 131 Those miraculous Gifts bestowed upon the Apostles.
1760 C. Lennox Lady's Museum I. lxxxviii. 782 Proceed to the miraculous birth of John the Baptist; then in course recount that of Jesus Christ.
1835 New Eng. Mag. 8 468 The miraculous labor was continued, until..not an invalid..remained to be recovered.
1884 F. Temple Relations Relig. & Sci. (1885) v. 156 They profess to have miraculous power.
1927 Amer. Mercury Jan. 84/1 To declare it miraculous is as foolish as to make the same claim for the geometry of Euclid and the poems of Homer.
1991 Tablet 21 Dec. 1596/1 Dorothy received her miraculous healing on the feast day of St Bernadette of Lourdes.
b. Concerned with miracles.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > [adjective] > relating to working wonders or miracles > relating to a miracle > concerned with miracles
miraculous?c1550
?c1550 tr. P. Vergil Eng. Hist. (1846) I. iv. 176 Ihon, archebusshop of Yorcke... went into Beverlaye,..where at this daye he is remembred with miraculus memorie.
1585 T. Washington tr. N. de Nicolay Nauigations Turkie iii. xix. 106 Of whom they do say..miraculous fable.
1653 H. More Antidote against Atheisme iii. ii. 109 I will briefly recite some few of those many Miraculous passages.
1748 D. Hume Philos. Ess. Human Understanding x. 185 With what Greediness are the miraculous Accounts of Travellers receiv'd.
a1832 Encycl. Metrop. (1845) II. 868/1 The testimony by which the miracles of our Lord are accredited is..distinguished, by its strength, from that which supports any other miraculous accounts.
a1902 S. Butler Way of All Flesh (1903) lxv. 293 If there was no truth in the miraculous accounts of Christ's Death and Resurrection, the whole of the religion founded upon the historic truth of those events tumbled to the ground.
1989 L. Taylor George Eliot (1990) iv. 40 Hennell rejected the miraculous elements in the Gospels as pure myth.
2. Resembling a miracle; so extraordinary as to appear supernatural; remarkable, astonishing. Cf. miracle n. 4.In some of the earlier instances the sense may be directly based on the primary sense of classical Latin miraculum, ‘object of astonishment’: in quot. 16011, for example, ‘miraculous workes’ translates classical Latin miracula.
ΘΚΠ
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > feeling of wonder, astonishment > quality of inspiring wonder > [adjective]
wonderlyc893
wonderfula1100
wondera1175
wondersa1300
marvellousc1330
marvela1400
marvelly?a1400
mirablec1429
admirablec1450
marvellablec1450
mirific1490
wondrous1509
extonious1548
portentious1549
miraculous1569
geason1572
mirificalc1572
astounding1590
amazing1593
wonderedc1595
admiring1598
prodigious1600
astonishable1603
fabulous1609
wondered-at?1611
necromantic1627
stupendous1640
nigromantic1645
mirandous1652
surprising1665
mirabundous1694
astonishinga1704
wondersome1774
sublime1813
nasty1834
kill-me-quite1842
breathtaking1843
breath-catching1865
miracle-working1867
mouth opening1867
stupefying1870
gee whiz1889
scorching1890
doozy1903
sensational1909
eye-popping1918
wunnerful1924
crashing1931
staggering1934
eyewatering1950
mind-boggling1955
Ozymandian1961
knock-out1966
mind-blowing1966
motherfucking1973
boggling1975
gobsmacking1981
tubular1982
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > feeling of wonder, astonishment > quality of inspiring wonder > [adjective] > with quality of strangeness
selcouthc888
uncouthc900
sellya1000
ferly?c1225
strangec1374
nicec1395
ferlifula1400
monsterfulc1460
portentous1553
miraculous1569
vengible1594
strangefula1618
phenomenous1743
phenomenala1850
very like a whale1859
weird and wonderful1859
fourth-dimensional1902
out of this world1941
unreal1965
1569 E. Fenton tr. P. Boaistuau Certaine Secrete Wonders Nature f. 48 It may seeme miraculous & almost incredible, that fishes do flye.
1573 (title) A letter sent by a Gentleman of England to his frende contayning a confutation of a French mans errors in the report of the myraculous starre now shyninge.
1601 P. Holland tr. Pliny Hist. World II. 585 The miraculous workes that Q. Marcius Rex performed.
1601 R. Johnson tr. G. Botero Trauellers Breuiat 73 Neither is it miraculous amongst them to see a man liue aboue an hundred and thirtie or fortie yeeres.
1698 J. Fryer New Acct. E.-India & Persia 75 [A mountain] on whose Summit was a miraculous Piece hewed out of solid Stone.
1710 T. Fuller Pharmacopœia Extemporanea 150 'Twas communicated to me..as a miraculous Experiment, against bleeding at the Nose.
1742 E. Young Complaint: Night the First 18 Of Man's miraculous Mistakes, This bears The Palm, ‘That all Men are about to live.’ For ever on the Brink of being born.
1837 T. Carlyle French Revol. I. vi. iv. 326 And such a Constitution; little short of miraculous.
1865 Fraser's Mag. May 609 The French are miraculous methodologists.
1901 ‘I. Maclaren’ Young Barbarians xv. 295 A miraculous catch which he made at long-off.
1923 A. Huxley Antic Hay xvi. 230 The monster..stands, by a miraculous feat of acrobacy, on the topmost bar.
1985 J. Berman Talking Cure iii. 85 As Tender is the Night draws to a conclusion, we are left wondering about the reasons for Nicole's miraculous recovery.
3. Of a thing or (formerly) a person: having the power to work miracles. Also in weakened use.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > [adjective] > relating to working wonders or miracles > that works wonders or miracles
wonder-working1594
miraculous1596
miracle-working1605
mirificent1664
thaumaturgic1680
mirific1693
miraculific1772
miracle-breeding1814
thaumaturgical1841
the mind > mental capacity > expectation > feeling of wonder, astonishment > quality of inspiring wonder > [adverb] > with a degree of strangeness
selcouthlyc1175
ferlyc1230
selcoutha1300
disguisilyc1325
ferlifula1400
ferlilya1400
sellylyc1400
miraculouslya1425
ferlifullyc1425
strangelya1450
strangefully1664
portentously1755
miraculous1781
like magic1783
phenomenally1878
out of this world1941
1596 J. Dalrymple tr. J. Leslie Hist. Scotl. (1888) I. 334 In takne of his rare and excellent halynes,..he was miraculous, canoniȝet and reknet with the haly number.
a1616 W. Shakespeare Tempest (1623) ii. i. 92 His word is more then the miraculous Harpe. View more context for this quotation
1666 H. Stubbe (title) The miraculous conformist: or an account of severall marvailous cures performed by the stroaking of the hands of Mr Valentine Greatarick.
a1701 H. Maundrell Journey Aleppo to Jerusalem (1703) 130 A certain Sacrilegious Rogue took an opportunity to steal away this Miraculous Picture.
1781 E. Gibbon Decline & Fall III. xxxi. 247 The miraculous tomb of St. Fælix.
1850 A. Jameson Legends Monastic Orders 869 The flask is always supposed to contain the miraculous oil which flowed under her shrine.
1872 J. Morley Voltaire i. 6 Some miraculous soil, from which prodigies and portents spring.
1930 J. Buchan Castle Gay i. 14 The Kangaroos had two halves possessed of miraculous hands and a perfect knowledge of the game.
1993 Town & Country Sept. 142/2 A miraculous statue of Saint Faith at Conques, a regular stop for prayerful pilgrims of le moyen âge.
4. Scottish and English regional (northern). Under the influence of alcohol; drunk, inebriated.
ΘΚΠ
the world > food and drink > drink > thirst > excess in drinking > [adjective] > drunk
fordrunkenc897
drunkena1050
cup-shottenc1330
drunka1400
inebriate1497
overseenc1500
liquor1509
fou1535
nase?1536
full1554
intoxicate1554
tippled1564
intoxicated1576
pepst1577
overflown1579
whip-cat1582
pottical1586
cup-shota1593
fox-drunk1592
lion-drunk1592
nappy1592
sack-sopped1593
in drink1598
disguiseda1600
drink-drowned1600
daggeda1605
pot-shotten1604
tap-shackled1604
high1607
bumpsy1611
foxed1611
in one's cups1611
liquored1611
love-pot1611
pot-sick1611
whift1611
owl-eyed1613
fapa1616
hota1616
inebriated1615
reeling ripea1616
in one's (or the) pots1618
scratched1622
high-flown?1624
pot-shot1627
temulentive1628
ebrious1629
temulent1629
jug-bitten1630
pot-shaken1630
toxed1635
bene-bowsiea1637
swilled1637
paid1638
soaken1651
temulentious1652
flagonal1653
fuddled1656
cut1673
nazzy1673
concerned1678
whittled1694
suckey1699
well-oiled1701
tippeda1708
tow-row1709
wet1709
swash1711
strut1718
cocked1737
cockeyed1737
jagged1737
moon-eyed1737
rocky1737
soaked1737
soft1737
stewed1737
stiff1737
muckibus1756
groggy1770
muzzeda1788
muzzya1795
slewed1801
lumpy1810
lushy1811
pissed1812
blue1813
lush1819
malty1819
sprung1821
three sheets in the wind1821
obfuscated1822
moppy1823
ripe1823
mixed1825
queer1826
rosined1828
shot in the neck1830
tight1830
rummy1834
inebrious1837
mizzled1840
obflisticated1840
grogged1842
pickled1842
swizzled1843
hit under the wing1844
obfusticatedc1844
ebriate1847
pixilated1848
boozed1850
ploughed1853
squiffy?1855
buffy1858
elephant trunk1859
scammered1859
gassed1863
fly-blown1864
rotten1864
shot1864
ebriose1871
shicker1872
parlatic1877
miraculous1879
under the influence1879
ginned1881
shickered1883
boiled1886
mosy1887
to be loaded for bear(s)1888
squiffeda1890
loaded1890
oversparred1890
sozzled1892
tanked1893
orey-eyed1895
up the (also a) pole1897
woozy1897
toxic1899
polluted1900
lit-up1902
on (also upon) one's ear1903
pie-eyed1903
pifflicated1905
piped1906
spiflicated1906
jingled1908
skimished1908
tin hat1909
canned1910
pipped1911
lit1912
peloothered1914
molo1916
shick1916
zigzag1916
blotto1917
oiled-up1918
stung1919
stunned1919
bottled1922
potted1922
rotto1922
puggled1923
puggle1925
fried1926
crocked1927
fluthered1927
lubricated1927
whiffled1927
liquefied1928
steamed1929
mirackc1930
overshot1931
swacked1932
looped1934
stocious1937
whistled1938
sauced1939
mashed1942
plonked1943
stone1945
juiced1946
buzzed1952
jazzed1955
schnockered1955
honkers1957
skunked1958
bombed1959
zonked1959
bevvied1960
mokus1960
snockered1961
plotzed1962
over the limit1966
the worse for wear1966
wasted1968
wired1970
zoned1971
blasted1972
Brahms and Liszt?1972
funked up1976
trousered1977
motherless1980
tired and emotional1981
ratted1982
rat-arsed1984
wazzed1990
mullered1993
twatted1993
bollocksed1994
lashed1996
1879 F. M. Fetherston Oops & Doons T. Goorkrodger 27 I say when a man's drunk, he's miraculus and mad.
1904 J. F. Cannon Whithorn 107 Jamie was once taken home in a ‘miraculous’ condition and put to bed.
1985 M. Munro Patter 46 Miraculous, usually, who knows why, pronounced ‘marockyoolus’, this is a slang term for drunk.
1992 I. Banks Crow Road xi. 276 I'm working on the principle that most people are okay unless they get muroculous with drink, when they become arse-holes.
B. adv. In a miraculous manner; to a miraculous or marvellous extent.
Now Scottish and English regional (northern).
ΘΚΠ
the world > relative properties > quantity > greatness of quantity, amount, or degree > high or intense degree > [adverb] > extremely or exceedingly > amazingly or wonderfully
wonderlyc1000
wonderc1175
wonderfullya1300
marvellouslya1382
marvellousa1400
marvelly?a1400
wonderful14..
miraculouslya1425
wonderslyc1489
wondersc1528
wondrously1535
prodigiously1541
wondrous1557
stupendly1621
stupendiously1629
amazingly1650
stupendously1659
astonishingly1668
tremendously1684
prodigious1694
portentously1755
miraculous1766
awesomely1821
stunningly1823
fabulously1845
devastatingly1905
fantastically1923
dizzyingly1952
staggeringly1976
1615 G. Sandys Relation of Journey 181 The effigies of Saint Ierome, miraculous framed by the naturall veines of the stone.
1618 S. Rowlands Sacred Memorie 29 He miraculous did heale them all.
1766 Gentleman's Mag. July 331/1 The scenes,..Shifting backwards and forwards,..And painted miraculous fine.
1881 D. Thomson Musings 175 The hale lot in a body Had got themsel's mirac'lous fu'.
C. n.
With the. That which relates to miracles, or which is considered miraculous.
ΘΚΠ
the world > the supernatural > the occult > sorcery, witchcraft, or magic > [noun] > working wonders or miracles > miracle
wonderc950
wonder-work971
miracle?a1160
mighty work1568
miraculous1836
1836 R. W. Emerson Nature viii. 92 The invariable mark of wisdom is to see the miraculous in the common.
1867 F. M. Müller Chips from German Workshop II. xvi. 3 Men who had no sense for the miraculous and supernatural.
1879 G. H. Lewes Study Psychol. viii. 155 The mind passes from wonderment at the miraculous to the discernment of order.
1904 J. Conrad Nostromo ii. v. 153 He was ready to believe that some startlingly profound remark,..or a judgment upon an event, bordered on the miraculous.
1939 Fortune Oct. 62/1 There was little of the miraculous in the first phases of the reëmployment drive, for Hitler only took longer steps where his predecessors had taken shorter ones.
1992 D. Morgan Rising in West iii. xvi. 291 The charismatic renewal movement was starting to call Americans back to the miraculous, inspiring, and emotional in the Christian experience.
Compounds
In the names of plants.
miraculous berry n.
Brit. /mᵻˈrakjᵿləs ˌbɛri/
, /mᵻˈrakjᵿləs ˌbɛri/U.S. /məˈrækjələs ˌbɛri/
, /məˈrækjələs ˌbɛri/West African English /miˌrakulɔz ˈbɛri/
any of several West African berries which when chewed have the property of making sour or salty things taste sweet; spec. the fruit of Synsepalum dulcificum (family Sapotaceae); (also) the plant from which such a berry is obtained./miˌrakulɔz ˈbɛri/ΚΠ
1852 Pharm. Jrnl. & Trans. 11 445 European voyagers and traders..were..greatly astonished at what to them must have appeared an extraordinary power, whose potency..could change the flavour of the most acid substances into a delicious sweetness, and on this account unanimously conferred upon it the characteristic title of the ‘miraculous berry’.
1866 J. Lindley & T. Moore Treasury Bot. II. 1057/2 The fruits of S[ideroxylon] dulcificum..are one of the kinds known to the English residents in Western tropical Africa..under the name of Miraculous-berry, from their being eaten in order to counteract the acidity of any article of food or drink.
1964 R. W. J. Keay et al. Nigerian Trees II. 363 It is S[ynsepalum] dulcificum.., the ‘Miraculous Berry’. The fruits of this plant have the peculiar property of making everything eaten within 2 or 3 hours afterwards taste sweet.
1990 D. K. Abbiw Useful Plants Ghana i. 12 A group of wild fruits as possible sources for sweeteners are Synsepalum dulcificum Miraculous Berry, [etc.].
miraculous fruit n. the fruit of a West African plant, Thaumatococcus daniellii (family Marantaceae), having similar properties to the miraculous berry, Synsepalum dulcificum; (also) the plant itself.
ΚΠ
1855 Pharm. Jrnl. & Trans. 14 158 (heading) Kātemfe, or the miraculous fruit of Soudan.
1974 F. N. Howes Dict. Useful & Everyday Plants 164 Miraculous fruit, Thaumatococcus daniellii, W. Af., the jelly-like aril is intensely sweet causing other foods to taste sweet.
This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, March 2002; most recently modified version published online March 2022).
<
adj.adv.n.1447