wonder

See also Wonder

English

Etymology 1

From wonder or wunder, from Old English wundor.

Pronunciation

• (RP) IPA: /ˈwʌndə/
• (US) IPA: /ˈwʌndɚ/

• Audio (US)

  (file)

• Rhymes: -ʌndə(r)
• Hyphenation: won‧der

Noun

wonder (plural wonders)

1. Something that causes amazement or awe, a marvel.
2. Something astonishing and seemingly inexplicable.

   The idea was so crazy that it is a wonder that anyone went along with it.

3. Someone very talented at something, a genius.

   He's a wonder at cooking.

4. The sense or emotion which can be inspired by something curious or unknown.
   • Plato, Theætetus (section 155d)

     Socrates: I see, my dear Theaetetus, that Theodorus had a true insight into your nature when he said that you were a philosopher, for wonder is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in wonder. He was not a bad genealogist who said that Iris (the messenger of heaven) is the child of Thaumas (wonder).

5. (UK, informal) A mental pondering, a thought.
   • 1934, Katharine Tynan, The house of dreams

     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.

Derived terms

Terms derived from wonder (noun)

bewonder boy wonder girl wonder gutless wonder little wonder nine day wonder no wonder one hit wonder 90-day wonder small wonder Wonder Woman

wonderberry wonderboy wonderbra wonderchild wonderdrug wonderful wonderland wonderment wondrous, wonderous wonderworker work wonders

Translations

something that causes amazement or awe, a marvel

Arabic: عجب (ar) (3ájab) m. Armenian: հրաշք (hy) (hrašk’) Catalan: meravella f. Chinese: 奇蹟, 奇迹 (qíjī) Croatian: čudo (hr) Czech: div (cs) m., zázrak (cs) m. Dutch: wonder (nl) n. Dyirbal: (Jirribal) mali? Finnish: ihme (fi) French: merveille (fr) f. German: Wunder (de) n., Mirakel (de) n. Greek: θαύμα (el) n. Italian: meraviglia (it) f.

Japanese: 驚嘆 (きょうたん, kyōtan), 驚異 Korean: 놀라움 (nollaum), 경이 (gyeong-i) Latin: miraculum (la) n., mirabilis (la) Portuguese: maravilha (pt) f. Romanian: minune (ro), mirare (ro) f. Russian: чудо (ru) (čúdo) n. Scottish Gaelic: mìorbhail (gd) f. Slovene: čudež (sl) m. Spanish: maravilla (es) f. Swahili: maajabu (sw) Swedish: under (sv) n., mirakel (sv) n. West Frisian: wûnder (fy) n.

something astonishing and seemingly inexplicable

Armenian: հրաշք (hy) (hrašk’) Greek: θαύμα (el) n.

Romanian: minune (ro) f. Scottish Gaelic: mìorbhail (gd) f.

someone very talented at something, a genius

Greek: θαύμα (el) n.

informal: thought

Czech: podivení n. Finnish: ihmettely (fi) Latin: congitio (la) f., congitatio (la) f. Portuguese: pensamento (pt) m., pensamento (pt) m.

Russian: интерес (ru) (interés) m. Slovene: tuhtanje n. Swahili: maajabu (sw)

Etymology 2

Old English wundrian

Verb

wonder (third-person singular simple present wonders, present participle wondering, simple past and past participle wondered)

1. To ponder about something.

   I wonder whether it is possible to find an easy and effective solution.

Derived terms

• wonderer

Translations

to ponder about something

Catalan: preguntar-se Chinese: Mandarin: 想知道 (xiǎng zhīdào) Croatian: pitati se (hr), čuditi se (hr) Czech: podivovat se, uvažovat Dutch: zich afvragen Finnish: ihmetellä (fi) French: se demander (fr) German: sich wundern (de) Greek: αναρωτιέμαι (el) Hebrew: תהה (he) (tahá)

Italian: domandarsi (it) Latin: interrogo (la) Norwegian: undres (no) Portuguese: ponderar (pt), perguntar-se Romanian: mira (ro) Russian: удивляться (ru) (udivljátsa), интересовать (ru) (interesovát’) Serbian: pitati se Slovene: tuhtati Spanish: preguntarse (es) Swahili: maajabu (sw) Swedish: undra (sv)

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: silence · afterwards · horses · #705: wonder · smile · walk · places

Anagrams

• downer

---

Dutch

Noun

wonder n. (plural wonderen, diminutive wondertje)

1. miracle

Synonyms

• mirakel

Derived terms

• wonderteken
• wonderlijke

Anagrams

• worden