miraculous
Americanadjective
-
performed by or involving a supernatural power or agency.
a miraculous cure.
-
of the nature of a miracle; marvelous.
- Synonyms:
- extraordinary
-
having or seeming to have the power to work miracles.
miraculous drugs.
adjective
-
of, like, or caused by a miracle; marvellous
-
surprising
-
having the power to work miracles
Usage
What does miraculous mean? Miraculous is used to describe something done by or involving a supernatural power, as in Rising from the dead is a miraculous feat!This sense of miraculous is frequently limited to religious use. In many faiths, something being miraculous implies an action of a deity. However, some people believe that something can be miraculous due to the forces of nature.Miraculous is also used figuratively to describe something whose working isn’t well understood or whose results are exceptionally wonderful. It appears to work by miracle, that is, an action by a deity. You might hear medicines or cures described as miraculous because they seem to work by miracle or the results are so wonderful, like the results of a miracle would be.Example: The acquisition went through miraculously and everyone got what they wanted.
Related Words
Miraculous, preternatural, supernatural refer to that which seems to transcend the laws of nature. Miraculous refers to something that apparently contravenes known laws governing the universe: a miraculous success. Preternatural suggests the possession of supernormal qualities: Dogs have a preternatural sense of smell. It may also mean supernatural: Elves are preternatural beings. Supernatural suggests divine or superhuman properties: supernatural aid in battle.
Other Word Forms
- hypermiraculous adjective
- hypermiraculousness noun
- miraculously adverb
- miraculousness noun
- nonmiraculous adjective
- nonmiraculousness noun
- pseudomiraculous adjective
- quasi-miraculous adjective
- unmiraculous adjective
Etymology
Origin of miraculous
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Medieval Latin mīrāculōsus, equivalent to Latin mīrācul(um) miracle + -ōsus -ous
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.
Barring a miraculous recovery by the end of today’s session, U.S. stocks are set for their worst quarterly performance in four years.
We live in miraculous times, its wonders to behold.
From Literature
The First Tree stretched for ever, shining its miraculous fire upon the Forest.
From Literature
As miraculous as their title win was, Leicester's football in 2015-16 was not always pretty.
From BBC
“A mist of the miraculous,” she writes, of life itself, “irreducible to stone and bone, pulsating with that eternal question: What is all this?”
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.
