Meaning & use
wondrous
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Meanings
adjectivecomparableliterary
So beautiful, strange or impressive that it fills you with amazement and delight.
Grammar: Used before a noun or after a linking verb: a wondrous sight, the view was wondrous.
Patterns
- a wondrous sight
- a wondrous place
We climbed to the ridge and saw a wondrous view of the glowing valley.
The old storybook described a wondrous garden where flowers could sing.
Children gazed at the wondrous display of lights.
adverbnot comparablearchaicliterary
To an amazing or surprising degree, used before an adjective.
Grammar: Appears before an adjective and is old-fashioned: wondrous strange.
Patterns
- wondrous strange
- wondrous fair
The traveler found the customs of that island wondrous strange.
The palace was wondrous fair in the evening light.
The old ballad called the lake wondrous deep and wondrous cold.
Word forms
| comparative | more wondrous |
|---|---|
| superlative | most wondrous |
Common combinations
- a wondrous sight
- The aurora was a wondrous sight over the frozen lake.
- wondrous beauty
- Visitors praised the wondrous beauty of the cathedral.
- a wondrous journey
- The book follows a wondrous journey through an enchanted land.
- wondrous things
- The scientist spoke of wondrous things hidden in the deep ocean.
- a wondrous place
- To the boy, the library was a wondrous place.
Synonyms and how they differ
- marvelous
- Marvelous is a common word for something very good or surprising and is less poetic than wondrous.
- astonishing
- Astonishing stresses surprise, while wondrous adds a sense of delight and beauty.
- splendid
- Splendid emphasizes grandeur or excellence and does not carry the feeling of awe that wondrous has.
- magical
- Magical suggests something enchanting or as if produced by magic, while wondrous only needs to cause amazement.
Opposites
Word family
- wonder noun
- a feeling of surprise and admiration
- wonder verb
- to think about something with curiosity
- wonderful adjective
- very good or pleasing
- wondrously adverb
- in an amazing or delightful way
Commonly confused: wondrous or wonderful? wondrous or wondering?
wondrous vs wonderful
Wonderful is the everyday word for very good, while wondrous is poetic and stresses amazement.
wondrous vs wondering
Wondering is the -ing form of the verb wonder and means being curious; it is not an adjective meaning amazing.
Practice
In the fairy tale, the hero stepped into a ______ cave filled with glowing crystals that sang softly.
Choose one answer.
Wondrous means amazing and fitting for a magical cave. Wandering describes moving about with no destination, so it would not suit the cave.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “wondrous”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.