wonder
/ˈwʌndə
/noun
1 [mass noun] A feeling of amazement and admiration, caused by something beautiful, remarkable, or unfamiliar: he observed the intricacy of the ironwork with the wonder of a child...
- She remembered his other expressions, wonder, joy, amazement; all positive feelings.
- But that fear was drowned out by the overwhelming emotions that filled her: awe and wonder, expectation and joy.
- For most of us this remarkable series of volumes will be a constant source of wonder, amazement, and re-thinking.
Synonyms
awe, admiration, wonderment, fascination;
surprise, astonishment, amazement
1.1 [count noun] A thing or a quality of something that causes wonder: have you ever explored the wonders of a coral reef? [mass noun]: Athens was a place of wonder and beauty...
- Explore the wonders of coral reefs, mangrove communities, and seagrass beds while identifying the marine organisms that live there.
- Divers can explore the underwater wonders of Eastern Indonesia on seven to eight days cruises to the islands of Komodo, Alor, Flores, Sumbawa and Lombok.
- And new galleries exploring the wonders of astronomy and the study of time and an improved astronomy education centre will be opened in the South Building along with a shop and cafe.
Synonyms
marvel, miracle, phenomenon, wonderful thing, sensation, sight, spectacle, beauty;
curiosity, rarity, nonpareil
2A person or thing regarded as very good, remarkable, or effective: we all eat cakes from Gisella—she’s a wonder derogatory you’re all a bunch of gutless wonders!...
- This is a magical world brimming with wonders, diverse and remarkable.
- It's no wonder that across the country they increasingly regard their elected representatives as gutless wonders.
- It has been less than a week since the gutless wonder conceded the election way too soon.
2.1 [as modifier] Having remarkable properties or abilities: a wonder drug...
- If they fail, the properties of this wonder oil may be known all over the world, but there will be no trees left to supply the market.
- Now the race is on to create and test synthetic forms - and it is not the only wonder drug on the horizon.
- It is the latest health benefit to be associated with the wonder drug.
3 [in singular] A surprising event or situation: it is a wonder that losses are not much greater...
- It was a wonder Sorsha did not strangle them in her frenzy of relief and gratitude.
- It's a wonder I wasn't strangled before opening night, but at that age, precocious is cute.
- With his words fresh in my mind from the night before, it was hardly surprising; it was more a wonder that it had taken him so long.
verb [no object]
1Desire to know something; feel curious: how many times have I written that, I wonder? [with clause]: I can’t help wondering how Georgina’s feeling...
- Those of us who live in the provinces wonder at the obsessive efforts of some Tory politicians to ingratiate themselves with that lobby.
- Children wonder at the crossings as the light-blinking boom-gates close for the pistons.
- He would wonder at the human body's capacity to do all that and more!
Synonyms
ponder, ask oneself, think about, meditate on, reflect on, deliberate about, muse on, speculate about, conjecture;
puzzle about, be curious about, be inquisitive about
informal cudgel one's brains about
1.1 [with clause] Used to express a polite question or request: I wonder whether you have thought more about it?...
- I've been considering my last question, and I wondered whether the church in the photograph is in Venice?
- But from your question I wonder whether you are not inviting people to make this false choice, between New York or Paris?
- I was wondering whether non-golden bangles and necklaces are forbidden for males.
2Feel doubt: even hereditary peers are inclined to wonder about the legitimacy of the place...
- They go on to wonder about the logic of Minister McDowell s actions given his stated aim of curbing excessive drinking.
- However, when you start to nitpick at really silly things, then I cannot help but to wonder about motive.
- It is true we are in an uncertain period but I wonder about the collective ‘mental state’ at the moment.
3Feel admiration and amazement; marvel: people stood by and wondered at such bravery (as adjective wondering) a wondering look on her face...
- He followed her brisk stride, through the hallways and into her office, all the while wondering at the marvel that was Katherine Wood.
- Talking to them, we wondered at the freedom they had enjoyed from an early age.
- She wondered at the invisibility that her clothing offered her.
Synonyms
marvel, be amazed, be filled with amazement, be filled with admiration, be astonished, be surprised, be awed, stand in awe, be full of wonder, be lost for words, not believe one's eyes/ears, not know what to say, be dumbfounded, gape, goggle, gawk
informal be flabbergasted, boggle
3.1Feel surprise: if I feel compassion for her, it is not to be wondered at...
- Now I'm wondering if Sergei was surprised to see it, in ‘real life’ etc.
- I was surprised, wondering if there was anything wrong with me.
- But, because of my past, I think it took a lot of people by surprise. They wondered what was happening to me.
Synonyms
be surprised, express surprise, find it surprising, be astonished/amazed
Phrases
I shouldn't wonder
no (or little or small) wonder
nine days' (or seven-day or one-day) wonder
wonders will never cease
work (or do) wonders
Derivatives
wonderer
- How inspiring things were in the slower days, when wonderment was a common pastime as I recall, wisdom-seeds falling on the wonderer's mind from every direction for careful germination.
- A small group of wonderers stood in the middle of the street, talking silently amongst themselves.
- Wondering becomes wandering in this poem, Olds inseparable from her mother, Olds the wonderer, the mother the wanderer-all of it within tight halls and rooms or within the closeting of the poem itself.
wonderingly
/ adverb ...- ‘We've only been a band for, like, seven or eight years,’ he says wonderingly.
- For my part I'd had some idea that bingo was somehow down to skill and, finding I was wrong, repeated wonderingly, after every game, ‘It's just pure luck!’
- ‘He got back to the village that evening, gave his message, had four hours rest, and then ran straight back to us through the night,’ says Dr Patterson, wonderingly.
Origin
Old English wundor (noun), wundrian (verb), of Germanic origin; related to Dutch wonder and German Wunder, of unknown ultimate origin.
Rhymes
- labourer in trust
- labouress
- labour exchange
- labour force
- Labour government
- labour hero
- labour heroine
- labour house
- labouring class
- labouringly
- labouring oar
- labouring time
- labour-intensive
- labourism
- labourist
- labouristic
- Labourite
- labour law
- labour leader
- labourless
- Labour-Liberal
- labour movement
- labour note
- labour-only
- labourous