wonderful
Americanadjective
-
excellent; great; marvelous.
We all had a wonderful weekend.
- Synonyms:
- phenomenal, astounding, amazing, astonishing, prodigious, miraculous, wondrous, awesome, strange, curious, unique
-
of a sort that causes or arouses wonder; amazing; astonishing.
The storm was wonderful to behold.
adjective
-
exciting a feeling of wonder; marvellous or strange
-
extremely fine; excellent
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of wonderful
First recorded before 1100; wonder ( def. ) + -ful ( def. )
Explanation
Wonderful is better than good — it's even better than great, like your wonderful luck — finding buried treasure on your very first diving expedition. When you look at the parts that make us wonderful, it is easy to see that it means "full of wonder," or awe, admiration, even surprise. The giant Rockefeller Center Christmas tree lit up in all its splendor is a wonderful sight — tourists and New Yorkers alike stop to stare. Other things that are wonderful are very personal to you, like wonderful memories of spending time with your grandparents.
Vocabulary lists containing wonderful
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Thumbs Up: Synonyms for "Good"
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"A Poem for My Librarian, Mrs. Long," Vocabulary from the poem
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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.
"It was the highlight of my career because I used to watch Pele, the master in his method. Just a wonderful, wonderful experience."
From BBC • Jun. 6, 2026
"The Akhal-Teke is a wonderful sport horse," a retired vet, 66-year-old Sapargeldy, told AFP at the prize ceremony, declining to give his surname.
From Barron's • Jun. 5, 2026
“I have two wonderful kids. I loved working in the private sector. I’ve got a lot of great friends ... I genuinely want to make our city better, and I love the job.”
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 3, 2026
“It’s been a wonderful life,” he admits, as if to say that, if this is the last film he ever does, it will be the most personal thing he’s ever made.
From Salon • Jun. 2, 2026
“Oh my, oh my, how wonderful that you are here! And how the baby has grown!”
From "Across So Many Seas" by Ruth Behar
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.
