wondrous

English

Etymology

From Middle English wondrous, alteration after the suffix -ous of Middle English wonders (“wondrous, wonderful”, adjective), from Old English wundres (“of wonder”), genitive singular of wundor (“wonder, miracle”), from Proto-Germanic *wundrą (“wonder”). Compare Dutch wonders, German Wunder.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈwʌndɹəs/
• Hyphenation: won‧drous

Adjective

wondrous (comparative more wondrous, superlative most wondrous)

1. Wonderful; amazing, inspiring awe; marvelous.

   We all stared open-mouthed at the wondrous sight.

   • c. 1610-11 William Shakespeare, The Tempest, Act II scene ii^[1]:

     I'll show thee the best springs; I'll pluck thee berries;

     I'll fish for thee, and get thee wood enough.

     A plague upon the tyrant that I serve!

     I'll bear him no more sticks, but follow thee,

     Thou wondrous man.

Derived terms

• wondrously

Synonyms

• See Thesaurus:awesome

Translations

amazing, inspiring awe

• Belarusian: цудо́ўны m (cudóŭny)
• Catalan: meravellós (ca)
• Esperanto: mirinda
• Finnish: ihmeellinen (fi), vaikuttava (fi)
• French: merveilleux (fr)
• Georgian: სასწაულებრივი (sasc̣aulebrivi), საუცხოო (saucxoo)
• German: wundersam (de), erstaunlich (de), verwunderlich (de)
• Greek: θαυμάσιος (el) (thavmásios)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Hebrew: פִּלְאִי (he) (pil'í)
• Italian: meraviglioso (it)
• Maori: whakamīharo, autaia
• Norwegian: underfull, vidunderlig
• Portuguese: maravilhoso (pt)
• Russian: изуми́тельный (ru) (izumítelʹnyj), порази́тельный (ru) (porazítelʹnyj), удиви́тельный (ru) (udivítelʹnyj), чуде́сный (ru) (čudésnyj), дивный (ru) (divnyj), невиданный (ru) (nevidannyj)
• Spanish: maravilloso (es)

Adverb

wondrous (comparative more wondrous, superlative most wondrous)

1. In a wonderful degree; remarkably; wondrously.

   • (Can we date this quote by Edmund Spenser and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     And looking up he waxed wondrous woe.

   • c. 1596-97 William Shakespeare, The Merchant of Venice, Act II scene viii^[2]:

     […] And even there, his eye being big with tears,

     Turning his face, he put his hand behind him,

     And with affection wondrous sensible

     He [Antonio] wrung Bassanio's hand; and so they parted.

   • XIX century, Emily Dickinson, As by the dead we love to sit:

     As by the dead we love to sit, / Become so wondrous dear — / As for the lost we grapple / Tho' all the rest are here […]

Translations

remarkably

• Russian: удиви́тельно (ru) (udivítelʹno)
• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}