marvel

noun mar·vel \ ˈmär-vəl \

Updated on: 21 May 2018

Definition of marvel

1 : one that causes wonder or astonishment

her talent is a marvel to behold

… with that marvel of architecture before our eyes …
—Martha Kean

2 : intense surprise or interest : astonishment

… his voice filled with marvel …
—Mordecai Richler

See marvel defined for English-language learners

See marvel defined for kids

Examples of marvel in a Sentence

that new electric car really is a marvel

Recent Examples of marvel from the Web

The Old Man was a marvel: five hunks of granite 40 feet high and estimated to weigh 7,200 tons.

— felice belman, BostonGlobe.com, "15 years ago, N.H. mourned for a giant rock," 3 May 2018
Instead of visiting the Parker Center police headquarters, which has been shuttered since 2009, the tour (and the Amazon series) visits the new LAPD headquarters, a glass marvel at Spring and First streets.

— mary forgione, latimes.com, "Walk in detective Harry Bosch's footsteps on DTLA pop-up walking tour," 30 Apr. 2018
On a recent spring day, the home’s deterioration drew beachcombers, some who stopped to snap photos or marvel at the slow decline.

— OregonLive.com, "Decks now collapsing on Oregon beach house at center of riprap battle," 27 Apr. 2018
Still no less a marvel to watch, the diminished numbers were nonetheless troubling.

— craig hlavaty, Houston Chronicle, "Months after Harvey, see how the bat colony is faring at Waugh bridge," 17 Apr. 2018
Skip the long, hot lines at La Sagrada Familia in Barcelona, and check out Palma’s Gothic marvel, built on the site of a Moorish-era mosque on Mallorca.

— cnt editors, Condé Nast Traveler, "Why You Should Skip Paris on Your First Trip to Europe," 23 Mar. 2018
One yearns to stroke the long, curved ears, marvel at the shape, and stand mesmerized by the rich patina.

— the new york times, New York Times, "The Museums Times Reporters Like to Visit on Their Days Off," 13 Mar. 2018
Sometimes, the film's hero Miguel stands in the foreground and marvels at giant expanses of buildings and glowing creatures—and the filmmakers opt to bend the laws of perception and just let every single detail drink in a full 3840x2160 resolution.

— sam machkovech, Ars Technica, "Coco isn’t just a must-own 4K/HDR film—it’s a bright sign of the format’s future," 26 Feb. 2018
Concorde was a technological marvel, but never a commercial success.

— The Economist, "Boom boxedSilencing a sonic boom would help a Concorde replacement," 25 Jan. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'marvel.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of marvel

Middle English merveile, mervayle "something causing astonishment, miracle," borrowed from Anglo-French merveille, going back to Gallo-Romance *merevelia, altered from Latin mīrābilia, noun derivative from neuter plural of mīrābilis "causing wonder, remarkable," from mīrārī "to be surprised, look with wonder at" + -bilis "capable of (acting or being acted upon)" — more at admire, -able

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

marvel Synonyms

Synonyms

caution, flash, miracle, phenomenon, portent, prodigy, sensation, splendor, wonder;

Related Words

curiosity, sight, spectacle;

beauty, corker, crackerjack (also crackajack), dandy, jim-dandy, knockout;

apparition, appearance;

marvel

verb

Definition of marvel

marveled or marvelled; marveling or marvelling play \ˈmärv-liŋ, ˈmär-və-\

intransitive verb

: to become filled with surprise, wonder, or amazed curiosity

marveled at the magician's skill

transitive verb

: to feel astonishment or perplexity at or about

marveled that they had escaped

See marvel defined for English-language learners

Examples of marvel in a Sentence

The doctors marveled that anyone could recover so quickly.

Recent Examples of marvel from the Web

This weekend, the world will marvel at Meghan Markle's wedding dress.

— Southern Living, "The Royal Wedding Pastry Chef Has a Genius Tip to Save Day-Old Cookies," 15 May 2018
As even strangers and those meeting her for the very first time would always marvel at her independence and capability for a woman of her advanced age.

— courant.com, "Grace Dorothy Boynick," 11 May 2018
Halfway up Haystacks, I’m joined by a young Scot who marvels at how those stone walls impose their patchwork of geometry across the valley floors.

— kieran dodds, Smithsonian, "Britain’s Lake District Was Immortalized by Beatrix Potter, But Is Its Future in Peril?," 20 Apr. 2018
But as Hurmuses, and her husband, Jeff, a Greek-Canadian tech security executive, walked over to the Veuve Cliquot stand to order some bottles, the couple marveled at the gender reversal the all-female team brings.

— ross kenneth urken, Town & Country, "Meet the Only All-Female Team at Bangkok’s Storied Elephant Polo Tournament," 6 Apr. 2018
Smart marvels at the hype around Georgia’s most recent recruiting class, which snapped Alabama’s seven-year stranglehold on the top spot in the 247Sports composite ranking.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Kirby Smart Won't Let the Search for New Leaders Change Georgia's End Goal," 26 Mar. 2018
The On the Run Tour even became an HBO special, so fans who couldn't quite swing a ticket could still see the couple perform together (and marvel at all of Beyoncé's costumes).

— molly horan, Glamour, "A Beyoncé and Jay-Z Joint Tour Is Really Happening," 12 Mar. 2018
In the past, Chevron would devote the bulk of its investment to multibillion-dollar engineering marvels hundreds of miles offshore that took years to build.

— kevin crowley, Bloomberg.com, "Was This Oil Giant Smart or Just Lucky?," 7 Mar. 2018
Flem, for one, marvels at her fortune in having landed in this profession.

— Cincinnati.com, "The Best Job Ever? Why Hospice Employees Love Their Jobs," 5 Mar. 2018

Origin and Etymology of marvel

Middle English merveilen, mervaylen, borrowed from Anglo-French merveiller, derivative of merveille ¹marvel

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

See Words from the same year

MARVEL Defined for English Language Learners

marvel

noun

Definition of marvel for English Language Learners

: someone or something that is extremely good, skillful, etc. : a wonderful or marvelous person or thing

marvel

verb

Definition of marvel for English Language Learners

: to feel great surprise, wonder, or admiration

MARVEL Defined for Kids

marvel

noun mar·vel \ ˈmär-vəl \

Definition of marvel for Students

: something that causes wonder or astonishment

marvel

verb

Definition of marvel for Students

marveled or marvelled; marveling or marvelling

: to feel astonishment or wonder

I had never seen such beautiful illustrations … I turned the pages, marveling.
—Gail Carson Levine, Ella Enchanted

Learn More about marvel

See words that rhyme with marvel Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for marvel Spanish Central: Translation of marvel Nglish: Translation of marvel for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of marvel for Arabic speakers

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marvel

Definition of marvel

Examples of marvel in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of marvel

marvel Synonyms

Synonyms

Related Words

marvel

Definition of marvel

Examples of marvel in a Sentence

Recent Examples of marvel from the Web

Origin and Etymology of marvel

MARVEL Defined for English Language Learners

marvel

Definition of marvel for English Language Learners

marvel

Definition of marvel for English Language Learners

MARVEL Defined for Kids

marvel

Definition of marvel for Students

marvel

Definition of marvel for Students

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