marvelous

adjective

mar·​vel·​ous ˈmärv-(ə-)ləs 

variants or chiefly British marvellous

1

: causing wonder : astonishing

the marvelous directional sense of migrating birds

2

: miraculous, supernatural

Gothic tales of marvelous and bizarre happenings

3

: of the highest kind or quality : notably superior

has a marvelous way with children

marvelously adverb

or chiefly British marvellously

marvelously inventive

sang marvelously

marvelousness noun

or chiefly British marvellousness

Synonyms of marvelous

• wonderful
• amazing
• astonishing
• miraculous
• surprising
• incredible
• stunning
• sublime

Examples of marvelous in a Sentence

We had a marvelous time at the party.

He has a marvelous way with children.

The weather was simply marvelous.

Recent Examples on the Web

The Panic of 1837—perhaps the worst of them all—gave rise to a long series of marvelous psychoses culminating in Know-Nothingism, which flourished around a dozen years after the crash. — J. B. MacKinnon, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

O’Flynn is marvelous—brittle one moment, wonderfully funny the next—and her easy chemistry with Johnson gives the film its pulse. — Taylor Antrim, Vogue, 19 Sep. 2026

Sometimes sweaty, sometimes sneering, often grandiose, and always conflicted, this Hansen presents the actor with a marvelous opportunity to demonstrate his stupefying range. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 14 Sep. 2026

Japanese arthouse favorite Hirokazu Koreeda returns to his wheelhouse to marvelous effect with Look Back, an aching drama about growing up and making art, featuring a pair of stunning performances from child actors. — Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English merveillous, borrowed from Anglo-French, from merveille marvel entry 1 + -ous -ous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for marvelous

• marvellous

Kids Definition

marvelous

adjective

mar·​vel·​ous

variants or marvellous

ˈmärv-(ə-)ləs 

1

: causing wonder or astonishment

2

: having the characteristics of a miracle

3

: of the highest kind or quality : splendid

we had a marvelous time

marvelously adverb

marvelousness noun