wonder

noun

won·der | \ ˈwən-dər

Essential Meaning of wonder

1 : something or someone that is very surprising, beautiful, amazing, etc. The Grand Canyon is one of the natural wonders of the world. This new computer is a technological wonder. See More ExamplesShe's a wonder with a paintbrush. [=she is very good at painting] the wonders of scienceHide

2 : a feeling caused by seeing something that is very surprising, beautiful, amazing, etc. 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.

3 : something that is surprising or hard to believe It's a wonder we made it this far. [=it is surprising we made it this far] Is it any wonder why this movie is so popular?

Full Definition of wonder

(Entry 1 of 4)

1a : a cause of astonishment or admiration : marvel it's a wonder you weren't killed the pyramid is a wonder to behold

b : miracle

2 : the quality of exciting amazed admiration

3a : rapt attention or astonishment at something awesomely mysterious or new to one's experience

b : a feeling of doubt or uncertainty

wonder

verb

wondered; wondering\ ˈwən-d(ə-)riŋ

Definition of wonder (Entry 2 of 4)

intransitive verb

1a : to be in a state of wonder

b : to feel surprise

2 : to feel curiosity or doubt wondering about the future

transitive verb

: to be curious or in doubt about wonders why birds sing

wonder

adjective

Definition of wonder (Entry 3 of 4)

: wondrous, wonderful: such as

a : exciting amazement or admiration wonder toys

b : effective or efficient far beyond anything previously known or anticipated a wonder fabric

Wonder

biographical name

Won·der | \ ˈwən-dər

Definition of Wonder (Entry 4 of 4)

Stevie 1950– born Stevland Hardaway Judkins American singer, songwriter and instrumentalist

Other Words from wonder Synonyms More Example Sentences Learn More About wonder

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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: Noun Part of me does wonder of HMD Global is a little late to that party, after all a lot of new tablets have been purchased, triggering the aforementioned first growth in seven years. — Ewan Spence, Forbes, 6 Oct. 2021 The wonder now is if two cake wins are prep enough for UC to go to Indiana and win on Saturday. — Paul Daugherty, The Enquirer, 13 Sep. 2021 Meanwhile, Sheriff Jim Hopper (Harbour), who (spoiler alert!) was presumed dead in the previous season, is back, bald and wielding a flamethrower, while telekinetic wonder Eleven (Brown) gets captured, per usual, by evil men in suits. — Ed Stockly, Los Angeles Times, 9 Aug. 2021 Places are memorable: The world is beckoning to our players with mystery and wonder, inviting exploration and promising treasure beyond imagination. — Alan Henry, Wired, 9 Sep. 2021 No wonder, last year, at the peak of the pandemic, social media was atwitter with claims that NASA had located parallel universes. — Christopher Borrelli, chicagotribune.com, 12 Aug. 2021 The Anglo-French plane was a wonder to watch, but could never overcome its high costs and concerns over its noise. — WSJ, 25 Aug. 2021 With the latter on full display in her tender vocal, there is no wonder why the song has been sampled countless times by rappers and singers alike. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, 25 Aug. 2021 How one small green bug could be so expressive is a wonder. — Sarah Schutte, National Review, 22 Aug. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb Thompson and Kobaly wonder why golf courses aren’t doing more to conserve. — Steve Lopez Columnist, Los Angeles Times, 9 Oct. 2021 Yet, Mullen had to wonder about his team’s lack of passion and execution a week after a sloppy, frustrating loss at Kentucky. — Edgar Thompson, orlandosentinel.com, 9 Oct. 2021 About a month ago, Herring and Maitre began to wonder about Rob’s whereabouts. — Gary Warth, San Diego Union-Tribune, 5 Oct. 2021 With his star on the rise and more eyes on him, people are bound to wonder about his relationship status — including Bravo host Andy Cohen. — Samantha Olson, Seventeen, 1 Oct. 2021 But never before had France withdrawn its ambassador, and never before has the raison d’être of NATO appeared more shaky, as the United States focuses on Asia and European countries wonder about the degree of American commitment to their defense. — New York Times, 22 Sep. 2021 Many wonder about the delay, considering an adult vaccine became available about nine months after the pandemic hit the U.S. — Lois K. Solomon, sun-sentinel.com, 15 Sep. 2021 Otherwise, recipients will wonder, and perhaps feel undue pressure to act quickly. — Washington Post, 30 Aug. 2021 Non-naïve New Yorkers might wonder about other factors. — Amy Davidson Sorkin, The New Yorker, 10 Aug. 2021 Recent Examples on the Web: Adjective 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 example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'wonder.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.