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wonder
wonderverb (used without object)to think or speculate curiously.
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Wonder
WondernounStevie. real name Steveland Judkins Morris. born 1950, US Motown singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist. His recordings include Up-Tight (1966), "Superstition" (1972), Innervisions (1973), Songs in the Key of Life (1976), and "I Just Called to Say I Love You" (1985)
wonder
Americanverb (used without object)
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to think or speculate curiously.
to wonder about the origin of the solar system.
- Synonyms:
- question, ponder, meditate, conjecture
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to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel (often followed byat ).
He wondered at her composure in such a crisis.
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to doubt.
I wonder if she'll really get here.
verb (used with object)
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to speculate curiously or be curious about; be curious to know.
to wonder what happened.
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to feel wonder at.
I wonder that you went.
- Synonyms:
- marvel
noun
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something strange and surprising; a cause of surprise, astonishment, or admiration.
That building is a wonder. It is a wonder he declined such an offer.
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the emotion excited by what is strange and surprising; a feeling of surprised or puzzled interest, sometimes tinged with admiration.
He felt wonder at seeing the Grand Canyon.
- Synonyms:
- awe, bewilderment, amazement, astonishment, surprise
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miraculous deed or event; remarkable phenomenon.
idioms
noun
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the feeling excited by something strange; a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and sometimes awe
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something that causes such a feeling, such as a miracle
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(modifier) exciting wonder by virtue of spectacular results achieved, feats performed, etc
a wonder drug
a wonder horse
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to achieve spectacularly fine results
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surprisingly or amazingly
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a subject that arouses general surprise or public interest for a short time
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(sentence connector) (I am) not surprised at all (that)
no wonder he couldn't come
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(sentence connector) (I am) hardly surprised (that)
small wonder he couldn't make it tonight
verb
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to indulge in speculative inquiry, often accompanied by an element of doubt (concerning something)
I wondered about what she said
I wonder what happened
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to be amazed (at something)
I wonder at your impudence
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Conjugated Forms
Present
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has wonderedperfect 3rd person singular
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have wonderedperfect
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has been wonderingperfect progressive 3rd person singular
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am wonderingprogressive 1st person singular
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is wonderingprogressive 3rd person singular
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wonderssingular 3rd person
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wonderingparticiple
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have been wonderingperfect progressive
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are wonderingprogressive
Past
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had wonderedperfect
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were wonderingprogressive plural
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was wonderingprogressive singular
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wonderedparticiple
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had been wonderingperfect progressive
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wonderedsimple
Future
Etymology
Origin of wonder
First recorded before 900; (noun) Middle English; Old English wundor; cognate with Dutch wonder, German Wunder, Old Norse undr; (verb) Middle English wonderen, Old English wundrian, derivative of the noun
Explanation
When you wonder about something, you want to learn more about it. You wonder why the car is making that noise so you ask the mechanic to explain it. Wonder comes from the Old English word wundor, which means "marvelous thing, the object of astonishment." For example, the Taj Mahal is one of the great wonders of the world, so beautiful and magical. But wonders are all around us — anything that amazes and marvels is a wonder, like high-definition television, the Internet, your mom's homemade pizza — though we tend to forget this because we are used to them.
Vocabulary lists containing wonder
Michelle Obama's Speech at the 2016 DNC
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"The Tragedy of Macbeth," Vocabulary from Act 1
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"LAFFF"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
So consider the case of Ryerson, a defender who turned pro 11 years ago and was beginning to wonder if he’d ever get to his sport’s biggest stage.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Tech was the major driver behind the better-than-expected earnings growth in the first quarter of this year, as well as subsequent upward revisions, so it’s little wonder bulls aren’t cowed.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Little wonder then that Musk has been heaping compliments on ASML, posting on X Saturday that “ASML should be treasured. It is arguably the greatest company in Europe.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
So it’s no wonder that Brunson has regularly popped up on earning calls, where executives have touted his extension and All-Star appearances.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 8, 2026
There were murmurs of wonder, marveling at who had pulled her from the river.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.