noun
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rapt surprise; awe
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puzzled interest
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something that excites wonder
Etymology
Origin of wonderment
Explanation
Wonderment is a feeling of surprise, awe, and joy. People felt wonderment when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon. Wonder is a feeling of surprised amazement, and so is wonderment. If you feel wonderment, you can't quite believe what you're seeing, but you definitely like it. Parents feel wonderment at the birth of their children, and when their children start walking and talking. Looking at the infinite stars in the sky can create a feeling of wonderment. Being in nature stirs wonderment in many people. Anything that creates wonderment is likely to make you say "Wow!"
Vocabulary lists containing wonderment
Words for Cheese Writers
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"Zlateh the Goat"
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Pre-AP Theatre
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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 walked into the Baltimore contest amid a lot of wonderment if he’d at last reached the end of a winding 4 MVP, one Super Bowl ring, Hall of Fame career.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 5, 2026
He called the proposal a “modest change” and expressed wonderment that it faced opposition, including among Republican Senators.
From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 29, 2025
Mr Glendinning has seen golden eagles three more times since that first shock sighting in March and feels a sense of "wonderment" each time.
From BBC • May 28, 2025
The simple wonderment that space research brings to humanity is actually invaluable!
From Slate • Apr. 11, 2025
He was gripped by the kind of anger that passes itself off as wonderment.
From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan
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.
