marvel

1 of 2

noun

mar·​vel ˈmär-vəl How to pronounce marvel (audio)
Synonyms of marvelnext
1
: one that causes wonder or astonishment
her talent is a marvel to behold
… with that marvel of architecture before our eyes …—Martha Kean
2
: intense surprise or interest : astonishment
… his voice filled with marvel …—Mordecai Richler

marvel

2 of 2

verb

marveled or marvelled; marveling or marvelling ˈmärv-liŋ How to pronounce marvel (audio)
ˈmär-və-

intransitive verb

: to become filled with surprise, wonder, or amazed curiosity
marveled at the magician's skill

transitive verb

: to feel astonishment or perplexity at or about
marveled that they had escaped

Synonyms

Noun

See all Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 

Examples of marvel in a Sentence

Noun that new electric car really is a marvel Verb The doctors marveled that anyone could recover so quickly.
Recent Examples on the Web
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Noun
Mughal emperor Shah Jahan contracted a marvel of architectural precision built in memory of one of his wives, Mumtaz Mahal, after her death. —Joshua Rapp Learn, Discover Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024 Among my reflections from the rig: This is a technological marvel. —Jim Cramer, CNBC, 25 Oct. 2024
Verb
As for Huang, the 61-year-old marveled at how a sit-down at Denny’s launched a tech giant, and said that dedication will take you far. —Ashton Jackson, CNBC, 5 Nov. 2024 In calm conditions, our testers marveled at how warm this fuzzy, nearly see-through fabric was. —Nathan Pipenberg, Outside Online, 30 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for marvel 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English merveile, mervayle "something causing astonishment, miracle," borrowed from Anglo-French merveille, going back to Gallo-Romance *merevelia, altered from Latin mīrābilia, noun derivative from neuter plural of mīrābilis "causing wonder, remarkable," from mīrārī "to be surprised, look with wonder at" + -bilis "capable of (acting or being acted upon)" — more at admire, -able

Verb

Middle English merveilen, mervaylen, borrowed from Anglo-French merveiller, derivative of merveille marvel entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Time Traveler
The first known use of marvel was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near marvel

MARV

marvel

Marvell

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Cite this Entry

“Marvel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marvel. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.

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Kids Definition

marvel

1 of 2 noun
mar·​vel ˈmär-vəl How to pronounce marvel (audio)
: one that causes wonder or astonishment

marvel

2 of 2 verb
marveled or marvelled; marveling or marvelling ˈmärv-(ə-)liŋ How to pronounce marvel (audio)
: to become filled with surprise or astonishment
marveled at the magician's skill

More from Merriam-Webster on marvel

Nglish: Translation of marvel for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of marvel for Arabic Speakers

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