marvelous

especially British, mar·vel·lous

[mahr-vuh-luhs]

adjective

1. superb; excellent; great.

   a marvelous show.

   Synonyms: wonderful
   Antonyms: terrible

2. such as to cause wonder, admiration, or astonishment; surprising; extraordinary.

   Synonyms: miraculous, amazing, wondrous
   Antonyms: commonplace

3. improbable or incredible.

   the marvelous events of Greek myth.

   Synonyms: unbelievable

Other Word Forms

• marvelously adverb
• marvellousness noun
• supermarvelous adjective
• supermarvelously adverb
• supermarvelousness noun
• unmarvellous adjective
• unmarvellously adverb
• unmarvellousness noun
• unmarvelous adjective
• unmarvelously adverb
• unmarvelousness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of marvelous¹

First recorded in 1300–50; Middle English merve(il)lous, from Middle French merveilleus; equivalent to marvel + -ous

Example Sentences

She could multiply fractions, turn a cartwheel, and recite entire stanzas of “The Wreck of the Hesperus,” a marvelous poem about a shipwreck by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow.

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The games were meant to show the various types of poetic meter: iambic pentameter, for example, which William Shakespeare used to marvelous effect in many of his poems and plays.

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But Penelope knew Cassiopeia would never agree to stay behind when there was such a marvelous adventure to be had.

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“What a marvelous imagination you have, Beowulf, to have invented a scene so dramatic and frightening! Of course, the Gypsy woman was real enough,” she went on.

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Mr. Sandler does beautifully engaging work, but so does everyone else in this marvelous cast.

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Related Words

• astonishing 
• astounding 
• awe-inspiring 
• awesome 
• breathtaking 
• extraordinary 
• fabulous 
• fantastic 
• implausible 
• improbable 
• incredible 
• miraculous 
• phenomenal 
• remarkable 
• singular 
• spectacular 
• strange 
• stunning 
• unbelievable 
• unusual 

When To Use

What does marvelous mean?

Marvelous means wonderful, extraordinary, fabulous, superb, excellent. In this sense, it is often used to praise things like works of art and artistic performances.Marvelous is the adjective form of the noun marvel, which most commonly means a thing that causes wonder. Marvelous can mean causing wonder, as well as improbable, but both of these senses are much less common than its primary meaning of “wonderful.”In British English, it is commonly spelled marvellous.Example: That was absolutely marvelous! What a wonderful show! Bravo!