Added 9 October 2026
wonder
/ˈwʌndə/ noun
In Latin: formīdō Wiktionary
noun Definition from Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about wonder at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
- A sense of awe, astonishment and curiosity, inspired by unexpected events, novel experiences and inexplicable circumstances, sometimes accompanied by surprise, shock or reverence.
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Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.
Wonders of the World seem to come in sevens.
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Fortunate circumstances.
That stay in the country did her wonders.
verb
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To 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.
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To ponder; to feel doubt and curiosity; to query in the mind.
He wondered whether penguins could fly. She had wondered this herself sometimes.
Origin
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.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)