wonder

American  

[wuhn-der] / ˈwʌn dər /

verb (used without object)

1. to think or speculate curiously.

   to wonder about the origin of the solar system.

   Synonyms:

   question, ponder, meditate, conjecture

2. to be filled with admiration, amazement, or awe; marvel (often followed byat ).

   He wondered at her composure in such a crisis.

3. to doubt.

   I wonder if she'll really get here.

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verb (used with object)

1. to speculate curiously or be curious about; be curious to know.

   to wonder what happened.

2. to feel wonder at.

   I wonder that you went.

   Synonyms:

   marvel

noun

1. 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.

2. 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

3. miraculous deed or event; remarkable phenomenon.

idioms

1. for a wonder, as the reverse of what might be expected; surprisingly.

   For a wonder, they worked hard all day.

wonder ¹ British  

/ ˈwʌndə /

noun

1. the feeling excited by something strange; a mixture of surprise, curiosity, and sometimes awe

2. something that causes such a feeling, such as a miracle

3. See Seven Wonders of the World

4. (modifier) exciting wonder by virtue of spectacular results achieved, feats performed, etc

   a wonder drug

   a wonder horse

5. to achieve spectacularly fine results

6. surprisingly or amazingly

7. a subject that arouses general surprise or public interest for a short time

8. (sentence connector) (I am) not surprised at all (that)

   no wonder he couldn't come

9. (sentence connector) (I am) hardly surprised (that)

   small wonder he couldn't make it tonight

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verb

1. to indulge in speculative inquiry, often accompanied by an element of doubt (concerning something)

   I wondered about what she said

   I wonder what happened

2. to be amazed (at something)

   I wonder at your impudence

Wonder ² British  

/ ˈwʌndə /

noun

1. Stevie. 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)

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wonder More Idioms  

More idioms and phrases containing wonder

• for a wonder
• no wonder
• work wonders

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Other Word Forms

• wonderer noun
• wonderless adjective

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

Example Sentences

Neither was a big private-credit borrower, but investors started to wonder whether there could be looming problems for funds in which they had invested.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 2, 2026

Combine that with slowing U.S. economic growth, and it’s no wonder investors are getting defensive.

From Barron's • Apr. 2, 2026

Some outside of Canada may wonder why Rousseau's failure to speak French is such a big issue.

From BBC • Mar. 31, 2026

Having invested so much time, energy, and money in renovating the dwelling, many might wonder why Barrymore is choosing to sell, less than a year after that work was finally completed.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 31, 2026

Every day was a day to get through, a day to wonder about Celia and Granda, a day to long for Da.

From "Nory Ryan’s Song" by Patricia Reilly Giff

Related Words

• admiration
• astonishment
• awe
• bewilderment
• confusion
• curiosity
• doubt
• fascination
• fear
• reverence
• shock
• skepticism
• surprise
• uncertainty