wonderful
Americanadjective
-
excellent; great; marvelous.
We all had a wonderful weekend.
- Synonyms:
- phenomenal, astounding, amazing, astonishing, prodigious, miraculous, wondrous, awesome, strange, curious, unique
-
of a sort that causes or arouses wonder; amazing; astonishing.
The storm was wonderful to behold.
adjective
-
exciting a feeling of wonder; marvellous or strange
-
extremely fine; excellent
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of wonderful
First recorded before 1100; wonder ( def. ) + -ful ( def. )
Explanation
Wonderful is better than good — it's even better than great, like your wonderful luck — finding buried treasure on your very first diving expedition. When you look at the parts that make us wonderful, it is easy to see that it means "full of wonder," or awe, admiration, even surprise. The giant Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lit up in all its splendor is a wonderful sight — tourists and New Yorkers alike stop to stare. Other things that are wonderful are very personal to you, like wonderful memories of spending time with your grandparents.
Vocabulary lists containing wonderful
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Thumbs Up: Synonyms for "Good"
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"A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long," Vocabulary from the poem
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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.
"He has been incredibly patient and calm during these introductions, and it has been wonderful to see the family dynamic develop."
From BBC • Jun. 10, 2026
He added: "These plaques are a wonderful recognition of the thousands of hours of dedication from so many brilliant scientists, engineers and technicians in industry and academia across the UK who made the mission possible."
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
“Soul” was quite beautiful, tinged with the innovative, educational spirit of early Pixar, and “Hoppers” did a wonderful job combining fantastical story elements with a grounded, human edge.
From Salon • Jun. 6, 2026
"The Akhal-Teke is a wonderful sport horse," a retired vet, 66-year-old Sapargeldy, told AFP at the prize ceremony, declining to give his surname.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
But when Betsie put on a dress something wonderful happened to it.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
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.
