1
2
: the quality of exciting amazed admiration
3
a
: rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one's experience
b
: a feeling of doubt or uncertainty
wondered; wondering
ˈwən-d(ə-)riŋ 
1
a
: to be in a state of wonder
b
: to feel surprise
2
: to feel curiosity or doubt
wondering about the future
: to be curious or in doubt about
wonders why birds sing
Synonyms
Examples of wonder in a Sentence
Noun
The Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world.
This new computer is a technological wonder.
The child's eyes were filled with wonder during the trip to the circus.
We watched the fireworks show with wonder and amazement.
She gazed up at the tall buildings in wonder.
Is it any wonder why this movie is so popular?
Verb
Have you ever wondered why the sky is blue?
Who could that be at the door, I wonder?
She wondered aloud what to do with the money.
I was wondering about that.
Sometimes his behavior makes me wonder.
Recent Examples on the Web
Edward Mendelson, PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
The best wildlife photos of the year The World Nature Photography Awards capture the serene and vicious beauty of nature
Start Slideshow
The natural world is full of wonder.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
By Alice Park April 8, 2024 3:00 PM EDT
Pregnancy is a wonder of biology, but new research shows that feat may come at a price.
—Alice Park, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
Expand All Millions in Texas are counting down the hours to midday Monday when all will crane their necks up to the heavens as a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical wonder passes across what many hope will be a speckless sky.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
Even as Elsbeth’s mind is clicking away on levels that others can’t fathom, her genuine sense of wonder shines through.
—Emily Yahr, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The Gilder Center includes multiple new exhibits, high-tech classrooms, a public reading library, a dazzling, immersive projection room and more, all in service of bringing the wonders of Earth closer to the public.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
Sun Exposure: Full sun, part shade Soil Type: Well-draining, organically rich
Soil pH: Acid to alkaline (5.5-7.5)
Weigela has experienced a renaissance of sorts in the past decade, going from a ho-hum one-season wonder to a colorfully diverse repeat bloomer.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2024
Plunge into the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Discover the underwater wonders of Key Largo’s John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first underwater park in the U.S. Snorkel or dive to witness impressive coral reefs and a diverse array of marine life beneath the waves.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
People on social media criticized her, but her defenders wondered whether race created a double standard: Clark is white and Reese is Black.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2024
And one wonders whether the inflated price of the volume will go mostly toward paying for his huge legal debts.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
But a patient in the ER for a sprained ankle may understandably wonder why a doctor is asking about firearms.
—Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2024
The sudden comment ban caused many users to flock to X, inciting memes depicting confusion and abandonment of the social network, while others were left wondering if the error was a result of an April Fool's Day prank.
—The Arizona Republic, 1 Apr. 2024
Wisconsin wonders where its free Culver's cheese curds are
The deal prompted some in Wisconsin to wonder why there wasn’t a deal in place locally.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
On Easter, there was reason to wonder whether the rain would ever stop.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024
There are also those who are religiously neutral and wonder why people have to bring race into everything.
—John Blake, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 7 Dec. 2021
It’s no wonder European markets are drooling at the prospect of grabbing a bigger slice of the SPAC pie.
—Adrian Croft, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2021
Noun
Numbers’ elegant rounded boxes for row and column numbers and its lucid formula-building bar are wonders to behold.
—Edward Mendelson, PCMAG, 11 Apr. 2024
The best wildlife photos of the year The World Nature Photography Awards capture the serene and vicious beauty of nature
Start Slideshow
The natural world is full of wonder.
—Isaac Schultz / Gizmodo, Quartz, 11 Apr. 2024
By Alice Park April 8, 2024 3:00 PM EDT
Pregnancy is a wonder of biology, but new research shows that feat may come at a price.
—Alice Park, TIME, 8 Apr. 2024
Expand All Millions in Texas are counting down the hours to midday Monday when all will crane their necks up to the heavens as a once-in-a-lifetime astronomical wonder passes across what many hope will be a speckless sky.
—David Montesino, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 6 Apr. 2024
Even as Elsbeth’s mind is clicking away on levels that others can’t fathom, her genuine sense of wonder shines through.
—Emily Yahr, Washington Post, 4 Apr. 2024
The Gilder Center includes multiple new exhibits, high-tech classrooms, a public reading library, a dazzling, immersive projection room and more, all in service of bringing the wonders of Earth closer to the public.
—Nathaniel Scharping, Discover Magazine, 4 Apr. 2024
Sun Exposure: Full sun, part shade Soil Type: Well-draining, organically rich
Soil pH: Acid to alkaline (5.5-7.5)
Weigela has experienced a renaissance of sorts in the past decade, going from a ho-hum one-season wonder to a colorfully diverse repeat bloomer.
—Southern Living Editors, Southern Living, 4 Apr. 2024
Plunge into the John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park
Discover the underwater wonders of Key Largo’s John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park, the first underwater park in the U.S. Snorkel or dive to witness impressive coral reefs and a diverse array of marine life beneath the waves.
—Jp Shaffer, Miami Herald, 3 Apr. 2024
Verb
Avery wondered how much power a man with a fortune like his could buy.
—Sean Kingsley, Smithsonian Magazine, 2 Apr. 2024
People on social media criticized her, but her defenders wondered whether race created a double standard: Clark is white and Reese is Black.
—Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 2 Apr. 2024
And one wonders whether the inflated price of the volume will go mostly toward paying for his huge legal debts.
—Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 1 Apr. 2024
But a patient in the ER for a sprained ankle may understandably wonder why a doctor is asking about firearms.
—Nancy Walecki, The Atlantic, 1 Apr. 2024
The sudden comment ban caused many users to flock to X, inciting memes depicting confusion and abandonment of the social network, while others were left wondering if the error was a result of an April Fool's Day prank.
—The Arizona Republic, 1 Apr. 2024
Wisconsin wonders where its free Culver's cheese curds are
The deal prompted some in Wisconsin to wonder why there wasn’t a deal in place locally.
—David Clarey, Journal Sentinel, 1 Apr. 2024
On Easter, there was reason to wonder whether the rain would ever stop.
—Gary Robbins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 Apr. 2024
There are also those who are religiously neutral and wonder why people have to bring race into everything.
—John Blake, CNN, 31 Mar. 2024
Adjective
This was half a century ago, but there is still wonder in his voice.
—Alex Shephard, The New Republic, 7 Dec. 2021
It’s no wonder European markets are drooling at the prospect of grabbing a bigger slice of the SPAC pie.
—Adrian Croft, Fortune, 4 Mar. 2021
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'wonder.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to wonder
Dictionary Entries Near wonder
Cite this Entry
“Wonder.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/wonder. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
wonder
1 of 2 noun
won·der
ˈwən-dər
1
: something extraordinary or surprising : marvel
the pyramid is a wonder of ancient Egypt
2
a
: a feeling (as awe, astonishment, or uncertainty) caused by something extraordinary, mysterious, or new to one's experience
b
: the quality of exciting wonder
the charm and wonder of the scene
Biographical Definition
Wonder
biographical name
Won·der
ˈwən-dər
Stevie 1950– born Stevland Hardaway Judkins American singer, songwriter and instrumentalist
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share