wonder
verb (used without object)
to think or speculate curiously.
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Trivia Time
What Wonder of the Ancient World was granted honorary status on the New Seven Wonders list?
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:
"I wonder to myself if we could have done something to get there sooner," Tee, 43, told AFP.
From Barron's ● Sep. 10, 2026
Still, I cannot help but wonder whether a whole-body MRI or one of the newer multi-cancer blood tests might reveal a hidden culprit.
From Slate ● Sep. 9, 2026
Rosales began to wonder about the world beyond L.A.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2026
Americans are increasingly dissatisfied with U.S. schools, and no wonder.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 8, 2026
Which made him wonder if he’d ever been a talented Usher, or if he’d just been a dolt guided by the all-knowing Afterlife.
From "The Undead Fox of Deadwood Forest" by Aubrey Hartman
Lauren Wonder, a Caltrans spokesperson, told The Times that it was a medical office a few years ago.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 2, 2026
Earlier this year, Blue Apron-owner Wonder discussed with Misfits the idea of buying FreshRealm as bankruptcy proceeded, said Ramesh.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 19, 2026
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
Wonder if I should go to him and apologize so we could keep talking on our walks back from school like we used to.
From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender
I love the game too much and, if I am being candid, my team has usually been better than the one everyone around me worshiped, which does wonders for a boy’s sense of belonging.
From Salon ● Sep. 9, 2026
You can feel the quiet intensity with which this young man from the American Midwest immerses himself in the Old World and its wonders.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 31, 2026
The song is replete with questions large and small about personhood as Parton wonders what it means to truly live.
From Salon ● Aug. 28, 2026
A draw will do wonders for their spirit but it will certainly not mask their concerns.
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
She wonders if this will help the server’s memory click into place.
From "A Heart in a Body in the World" by Deb Caletti
Nonetheless, many have wondered why these people are not being investigated or prosecuted, and whether Massie forgot to name some other prominent people.
From Salon ● Sep. 8, 2026
The family wondered whether a wedding e-vite Jordan had responded to that day could have been connected.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 5, 2026
"After the first set you wondered if Serena and Venus would be able to find their mojo - but, boy, they did."
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Then, investors wondered how real AI-infrastructure demand really was.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 31, 2026
He wondered if that would help or hinder him.
From "Wolf Brother" by Michelle Paver
It has left people wondering whether to buy now for the winter, or hold off in the hope that prices will fall – with the risk that they could rise again.
From BBC ● Sep. 10, 2026
I’m wondering whether I should suggest that my mother establish a trust or some other structured arrangement for these educational expenses rather than giving my brother money.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 10, 2026
Once the account clears probate, I’m wondering what our options are.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 7, 2026
The judge was wondering where the man’s paperwork was.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
I looked to the sky, wondering how long before dawn.
From "Rump: The (Fairly) True Story of Rumpelstilskin" by Liesl Shurtliff
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.
