Wonder
n.joyful, hopefulwarm
Meaning 1
A feeling of delighted awe and curiosity before something remarkable.
Reach for it when naming open attention that combines surprise, pleasure, and desire to understand
The night sky filled the children with wonder.
Choose between these
4- everyday
when strong surprise is the immediate feeling
not when Amazement may pass quickly, while wonder can sustain curiosity.
- warm
when desire to understand is stronger than astonishment
not when Curiosity can arise from an ordinary puzzle with no wonder.
- formal
when grandeur or power inspires deep reverence
not when Awe can include fear and solemnity, while wonder is often curious and delighted.
- literary
when delighted admiration suits an elevated voice
not when Marvel can also name the remarkable object, creating ambiguity.
Meaning 2
A person or thing that causes admiration through an extraordinary quality.
Reach for it when calling something remarkable without claiming it is literally miraculous
The restored clock is a wonder of patient mechanical work.
Choose between these
4- warm
when an outstanding created work deserves the highest artistic praise
not when Masterpiece is much stronger and cannot name natural or accidental wonders.
- professional
when difficult achievement is what makes the thing remarkable
not when Feat praises accomplishment and does not apply to every wonder.
- professional
phenomenon
when something exceptional can be described neutrally
not when Phenomenon is analytical and does not carry admiration.
- literary
when the thing itself inspires astonishment
not when Marvel is more elevated and can overstate fine but ordinary work.
Said against
4- indifference
- boredom
- commonplace
- mediocrity
It naturally appears in
3- sense of wonder
The museum protects a sense of wonder by leaving room for questions.
- filled with wonder
Visitors were filled with wonder as the rescued cranes took flight.
- engineering wonder
The folding bridge is an engineering wonder built from replaceable parts.
Where this comes from
- Wiktionary, English noun sense: feeling of amazement and admiration opens in a new tab for meaning 1 · retrieved 2026-07-26
- Wiktionary, English noun sense: something astonishing or admirable opens in a new tab for meaning 2 · 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.