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
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
when surprise is intense and immediate
not when Astonishing does not carry gratitude or possible divine meaning.
- professional
when something lies far outside ordinary expectation
not when Extraordinary can describe welcome or unwelcome departures from the ordinary.
- professional
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
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
1Where 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.
- merriam-webster, adjective sense: of the nature of a miracle or astonishingly fortunate opens in a new tab · retrieved 2026-07-26
The definition and the example on this page are written here. The dictionaries above ground which meaning is being described, not the wording.