wonder
verb (used without object)
to think or speculate curiously.
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wonder
American
[wuhn-der]
/ ˈwʌn dər /
verb (used without object)
-
wonders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wondered,
past participle, past
-
wondering
present participle
-
to think or speculate curiously.
to wonder about the origin of the solar system.
- Synonyms:
- question, ponder, meditate, conjecture
-
to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel (often followed byat ).
He wondered at her composure in such a crisis.
-
to doubt.
I wonder if she'll really get here.
verb (used with object)
-
wonders,
present (3rd person singular)
-
wondered,
past participle, past
-
wondering
present participle
-
to speculate curiously or be curious about; be curious to know.
to wonder what happened.
-
to feel wonder at.
I wonder that you went.
- Synonyms:
- marvel
noun
-
wonders
plural
-
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.
-
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
-
miraculous deed or event; remarkable phenomenon.
idioms
wonder
1
British
/ ˈwʌndə /
noun
-
the feeling excited by something strange; a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and sometimes awe
-
something that causes such a feeling, such as a miracle
-
(modifier) exciting wonder by virtue of spectacular results achieved, feats performed, etc
a wonder drug
a wonder horse
-
to achieve spectacularly fine results
-
surprisingly or amazingly
-
a subject that arouses general surprise or public interest for a short time
-
(sentence connector) (I am) not surprised at all (that)
no wonder he couldn't come
-
(sentence connector) (I am) hardly surprised (that)
small wonder he couldn't make it tonight
verb
-
to indulge in speculative inquiry, often accompanied by an element of doubt (concerning something)
I wondered about what she said
I wonder what happened
-
to be amazed (at something)
I wonder at your impudence
Wonder
2
British
/ ˈwʌndə /
noun
wonder
More Idioms
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
wondersimple
-
wonderssimple
-
have wonderedperfect
-
has wonderedperfect
-
am wonderingprogressive
-
are wonderingprogressive
-
is wonderingprogressive
-
have been wonderingperfect progressive
-
has been wonderingperfect progressive
Past
-
wonderedsimple
-
had wonderedperfect
-
was wonderingprogressive
-
were wonderingprogressive
-
had been wonderingperfect progressive
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.
See Examples For:
This has led me to wonder whether it is possible — and whether it would make financial sense — to return the property to my mother’s estate while she is still alive.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 25, 2026
The Camino de Santiago, a medieval pilgrimage in northern Spain, has a way of making things seem normal that, elsewhere, might make a reasonable person wonder if you’re OK.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 25, 2026
The engineers also wonder if, one day, they can replace the company's workforce.
From BBC ● Aug. 24, 2026
Regardless of whether Edwin Díaz ever excels again in his closer role, I wonder if anyone else feels like I do about the trumpets and light show hoopla announcing his entrance from the bullpen?
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 22, 2026
And he’d wonder why the post was gone.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
Superman, Wonder Woman and Thor were born to greatness.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
For example: When music legend Stevie Wonder phoned to congratulate Starr on a Grammy nomination, she goaded him into a playful argument about zodiac signs.
From BBC ● Aug. 12, 2026
It also has another initiative that can put the robot-assisted kitchens to good use: Wonder Create, a program that will allow anyone to create their own restaurant, as Lore puts it.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 7, 2026
One piece I remember was his re-creation of the Stevie Wonder album cover for “Hotter than July.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
The medal ceremony took place under the Wonder Dome, which, to honor the idea behind the second game, was operating in its spectacular Dewey decimal mode.
From "Mr. Lemoncello's Library Olympics" by Chris Grabenstein
But, after getting directions to Mark's farmhouse, he never arrived and Mark still wonders if it was him, or just a coincidence but really wants him to get in touch.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
In 2026, no one questions a reality show set 20 minutes from Park City, Utah, or wonders why Netflix dating shows host their casting calls in exurban Charlotte.
From Salon ● Aug. 16, 2026
He said he wonders if investors read the full disclosures made by such solicitors.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
That’s a high price to pay for the once-in-a-year chance of capturing one of those spectacular one-day wonders.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 14, 2026
Collecting natural wonders became a mark of wealth, knowledge, and good taste.
From "The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science" by Joyce Sidman
“I wondered why Lane Kiffin reached out to me a week ago,” Monken told reporters Sunday.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 24, 2026
When Williams' long-mooted comeback finally became a reality, everybody wondered what the motives behind her return were and what she hoped to gain from stepping back on to court.
From BBC ● Aug. 22, 2026
Executives and investors wondered: How could these companies keep growing advertising revenue on the new, much smaller screens?
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 18, 2026
What if he put it through Pangram and wondered if he’d gotten me all wrong?
From Slate ● Aug. 18, 2026
I wondered idly as I watched Father’s brown beard rise and fall with the words.
From "The Hiding Place" by Corrie ten Boom
At least once while watching “The Great American Road Trip,” I found myself wondering what the Founding Fathers would make of all this.
From Salon ● Aug. 23, 2026
I went there and saw the fear on the faces of players wondering if their parents would even show up to games in the fall.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 23, 2026
And many residents are already wondering how they can last through a winter without sufficient missile defenses.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 20, 2026
Many Arsenal fans are wondering if Konsa will play regularly when Saliba and Gabriel are fit.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
If I know you, and I’m pretty sure I know you no matter how far apart we are, you’re wondering what happened to me.
From "The Way to Rio Luna" by Zoraida Cordova
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.
