marvel
Americannoun
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something that causes wonder, admiration, or astonishment; a wonderful thing; a wonder or prodigy.
The new bridge is an engineering marvel.
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Archaic. the feeling of wonder; astonishment.
verb (used with object)
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to wonder at (usually followed by a clause as object).
I marvel that you were able to succeed against such odds.
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to wonder or be curious about (usually followed by a clause as object).
A child marvels that the stars can be.
verb (used without object)
verb
noun
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something that causes wonder
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archaic astonishment
Other Word Forms
- marvelment noun
Etymology
Origin of marvel
First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English mervel, from Old French merveil(l)e, from Late Latin mīrābilia “marvels,” noun use of neuter plural of Latin mīrābilis “marvelous”; admirable
Explanation
The Latin source of the word marvel is mirari, "to wonder at," and that's exactly what marvel means when it's a verb. You may marvel at the depth of the Grand Canyon or at the size of a piece of cake. When it entered the English language in 1300, marvel meant "miracle" –- that is, a supernatural act of divine agency (miracle actually comes from the same Latin word as marvel). By 1386, Geoffrey Chaucer was able to use the Middle English meruailles to describe more mundane astonishment. Chaucer also used marvel –- maruaylen, actually –- as a verb. In contemporary usage, the close synonym wonder is used much more often –- unless you happen to be a fan of the comic book universe created by Stan Lee. As a noun, anything that provokes wonder is a marvel.
Vocabulary lists containing marvel
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"The Crucible" -- Vocabulary from Act 2
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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.
The clip is worth watching, and not just to marvel yet again at Vance’s ability to make idiotic statements in the self-assured tone of the smartest boy in the room.
From Salon • Apr. 1, 2026
Samsung pitched the mammoth phone as an engineering marvel and the “shape of what’s next.”
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026
This was an old style innings, not a muscular modern marvel.
From BBC • Mar. 9, 2026
No surprise, then, that the revival of “Amadeus” that opened Sunday at Pasadena Playhouse is a marvel to behold.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026
She knew from her research that he was an Arcanum instructor with at least an eighth degree in his marvel.
From "The Marvellers" by Dhonielle Clayton
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.
