to think or speculate curiously.
to wonder about the origin of the solar system.
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.
to speculate curiously or be curious about; be curious to know.
to wonder what happened.
to feel wonder at.
I wonder that you went.
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.
miraculous deed or event; remarkable phenomenon.
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
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
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
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.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"It was just what I needed to remind me that there was beauty all around me and lots of wonder in the everyday."
From BBC • Jun. 9, 2026
“Families should not have to wonder every budget season whether the support they rely on will be taken away,” Gonzalez said.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 9, 2026
Tech was the major driver behind the better-than-expected earnings growth in the first quarter of this year, as well as subsequent upward revisions, so it’s little wonder bulls aren’t cowed.
From Barron's • Jun. 8, 2026
Little wonder then that Musk has been heaping compliments on ASML, posting on X Saturday that “ASML should be treasured. It is arguably the greatest company in Europe.”
From MarketWatch • Jun. 8, 2026
I sit back down on the sofa and wonder how long before the aspirin kicks in, because my head is still killing me.
From "Split the Sky" by Marie Arnold
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.
