Dictionary / wonder
wonder
- noun
- verb
- from Old English
A sense of awe, astonishment and curiosity, inspired by unexpected events, novel experiences and inexplicable circumstances, sometimes accompanied by surprise, shock or reverence.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “wonder” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
noun
- uncountableA sense of awe, astonishment and curiosity, inspired by unexpected events, novel experiences and inexplicable circumstances, sometimes accompanied by surprise, shock or reverence.
All wonder is the effect of novelty upon ignorance.1781, Samuel Johnson, The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets:
- countableSomething that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.
Wonders of the World seem to come in sevens.
- Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.countableuncountableFortunate circumstances.
That stay in the country did her wonders.
- Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.countableuncountableAn astonishing and seemingly inexplicable turn of events.
The idea was so ridiculous that it's a wonder anyone went along with it.
- Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.countableuncountableA feat that demonstrates incredible finesse or skill, as if performed by magic.
Given the limited resources, he's really performed wonders.
- Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.countableuncountableSomeone very talented at something, a genius.
He's a wonder at cooking.
- Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.colloquialcountablesarcasticuncountableA nominalizer that serves as a head noun for the preceding adjective, which together form a mocking or insulting epithet.
So the voiceless wonder speaks at last.
- UKcountableinformalA mental pondering, a thought.
Miss Paynter had a little wonder as to whether the man, as she called Mr. Lacy in her own mind, had ever been admitted to this room. She thought not.1934, Katharine Tynan, The house of dreams:
- UScountableA kind of donut; a cruller.
verb
- intransitiveTo be affected with surprise or admiration; to be struck with astonishment; to be amazed; to marvel; often followed by at.
He's married by now, I shouldn't wonder.
- intransitivetransitiveTo ponder; to feel doubt and curiosity; to query in the mind.
He wondered whether penguins could fly. She had wondered this herself sometimes.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (6)
- nounthe feeling aroused by something strange and surprising — also: wonderment, admiration
- nounsomething that causes feelings of wonder — also: marvel
- nouna state in which you want to learn more about something — also: curiosity
- verbhave a wish or desire to know something — also: inquire, enquire
- verbplace in doubt or express doubtful speculation — also: question
- verbbe amazed at — also: marvel
Synonyms: ponder
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)wonder
- Middle Englishwonder
- Old Englishwundor “wonder, miracle, marvel”
- Proto-West Germanic*wundr
- Proto-Germanic*wundrą
From Middle English wonder, wunder, from Old English wundor (“wonder, miracle, marvel”), from Proto-West Germanic *wundr, from Proto-Germanic *wundrą.
Cognate with Scots wunner (“wonder”), West Frisian wonder, wûnder (“wonder, miracle”), Dutch wonder (“miracle, wonder”), Low German wunner, wunder (“wonder”), German Wunder (“miracle, wonder”), Danish, Norwegian Bokmål, Norwegian Nynorsk, and Swedish under (“wonder, miracle”), Faroese and Icelandic undur (“wonder”).
The verb is from Middle English wondren, from Old English wundrian, which is from Proto-Germanic *wundrōną. Cognate with Saterland Frisian wunnerje, West Frisian wûnderje, Dutch wonderen, German Low German wunnern, German wundern, Swedish undra, Icelandic undra.
Via PIE cognate with English wish (see more).
Derivatives — words built from “wonder”
Phrases & compounds
Want to go deeper? See also “wonder” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “wonder” came from before it was English.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
wonder n. [OE. wonder, wunder, AS. wundor; akin to D. wonder, OS. wundar, OHG. wuntar, G. wunder, Icel. undr, Sw. & Dan. under, and perhaps to Gr. <?/ to gaze at.]
- That emotion which is excited by novelty, or the presentation to the sight or mind of something new, unusual, strange, great, extraordinary, or not well understood; surprise; astonishment; admiration; amazement.
- A cause of wonder; that which excites surprise; a strange thing; a prodigy; a miracle.
wonder v. i. [AS. wundrian.]
- To be affected with surprise or admiration; to be struck with astonishment; to be amazed; to marvel.
- To feel doubt and curiosity; to wait with uncertain expectation; to query in the mind; as, he wondered why they came.
wonder a.
- Wonderful.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
nounMeaning: A sense of awe, astonishment and curiosity, inspired by unexpected events, novel experiences and inexplicable circumstances, sometimes accompanied by surprise, shock or reverence.
All wonder is the effect of novelty upon ignorance.1781, Samuel Johnson, The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets:
Stuff your eyes with wonder […]live as if you'd drop dead in ten seconds. See the world. It's more fantastic than any dream made or paid for in factories.1953, Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451:
nounMeaning: Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.
Wonders of the World seem to come in sevens.
That concertina was a wonder in its way. The handles that was on it first was wore out long ago, and he'd made new ones of braided rope yarn. And the bellows was patched in more places than a cranberry picker's overalls.1913, Joseph C[rosby] Lincoln, chapter VIII, in Mr. Pratt’s Patients, New York, N.Y.; London: D[aniel] Appleton and Company, →OCLC:
nounMeaning: Fortunate circumstances.
That stay in the country did her wonders.
It's a wonder no-one saw me.
nounMeaning: An astonishing and seemingly inexplicable turn of events.
The idea was so ridiculous that it's a wonder anyone went along with it.
nounMeaning: A feat that demonstrates incredible finesse or skill, as if performed by magic.
Given the limited resources, he's really performed wonders.
nounMeaning: Someone very talented at something, a genius.
He's a wonder at cooking.
nounMeaning: something that causes feelings of wonder
the wonders of modern science
verbMeaning: have a wish or desire to know something
He wondered who had built this beautiful church
verbMeaning: place in doubt or express doubtful speculation
I wonder whether this was the right thing to do
she wondered whether it would snow tonight
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
wonder
/ˈwʌndə/ · won·der
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
wonder
/ˈwʌndə/ · won·der · noun, verb
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “wonder” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — Which meaning is it?
“Wonders of the World seem to come in sevens.”
Circle the meaning used.
“That stay in the country did her wonders.”
Circle the meaning used.
“The idea was so ridiculous that it's a wonder anyone went along with it.”
Circle the meaning used.
Step 4 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “wonder” and what each means:
Step 5 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Old English wundor. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 6 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — wonder
Which meaning, sentence 1: B. Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.
Which meaning, sentence 2: B. Fortunate circumstances.
Which meaning, sentence 3: B. An astonishing and seemingly inexplicable turn of events.
Origin: D. Old English (Old English wundor)
Journey: English wonder ← Middle English wonder ← Old English wundor ← Proto-West Germanic *wundr ← Proto-Germanic *wundrą
Some derivatives: 1der, wonder-bearing, wonderbeast, wonder-beast, wonderberry, wonderbird, wonderbook, wonderboy
Original meaning: Old English wundor — “wonder, miracle, marvel”
Etymology: From Middle English wonder, wunder, from Old English wundor (“wonder, miracle, marvel”), from Proto-West Germanic *wundr, from Proto-Germanic *wundrą.
Sources: Wiktionary “wonder” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/wonder#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/wonder