Words of Positivity
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Miraculous

adj.hopeful, joyfulwarm

What it means

Extraordinarily fortunate or wonderful, as if produced by a miracle.

Reach for it when describing a welcome outcome whose improbability inspires wonder

The hikers made a miraculous return shortly before the temperature fell.

Choose between these

9
  • playful

    against-all-odds

    when overcoming extreme improbability is the story

    not when The phrase can turn a complex outcome into a dramatic slogan.

  • everyday

    incredible

    when the result is difficult to believe because it is so unusual

    not when Incredible can literally mean not credible and is overused.

  • everyday

    unexpected

    when lack of prediction is the only supported claim

    not when Unexpected can be minor and lacks the positive wonder of miraculous.

  • warm

    astonishing

    when surprise is intense and immediate

    not when Astonishing does not carry gratitude or possible divine meaning.

  • professional

    extraordinary

    when something lies far outside ordinary expectation

    not when Extraordinary can describe welcome or unwelcome departures from the ordinary.

  • professional

    remarkable

    when the event deserves attention without a supernatural claim

    not when Remarkable is restrained and may understate extreme improbability.

  • formal

    providential

    when an event is understood as timely divine care

    not when Providential makes a religious interpretation that may not be shared.

  • formal

    seemingly impossible

    when the prior difficulty should be emphasized without claiming impossibility

    not when The phrase is still dramatic and may ignore the mechanisms that made success possible.

  • literary

    wondrous

    when wonder and beauty deserve an elevated tone

    not when Wondrous sounds archaic and may be too decorative for a serious recovery.

Said against

3
  • ordinary
  • predictable
  • disastrous

It naturally appears in

3
  • miraculous recovery

    The newspapers described her swift return as a miraculous recovery.

  • miraculous escape

    A fallen beam created the narrow space for a miraculous escape.

  • seem miraculous

    The repair may seem miraculous until the craft behind it is explained.

The word family

1

Where this comes from

Miraculous can be literal within a faith tradition or figurative. It should not erase medical work, human effort, or another person's beliefs.

The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.