Adjacent Words

Marvel definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

M`ARVEL, n. [L. mirabilis, wonderful, from miror; demiror, mora, delay, and perhaps morior; Eng. demur, etc.]
1. A wonder; that which arrests the attention and causes a person to stand or gaze, or to pause. [This word is nearly obsolete, or at least little used in elegant writings.]
2. Wonder; admiration.
Marvel of Peru, a plant of the genus Mirabilis.
M`ARVEL, v.i. To wonder. It expresses less than astonish or amaze. [Nearly obsolete.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: something that causes feelings of wonder; "the wonders of modern science" [syn: wonder, marvel] v
1: be amazed at; "We marvelled at the child's linguistic abilities" [syn: wonder, marvel]
2: express astonishment or surprise about something

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English mervel, from Anglo-French merveille, from Late Latin mirabilia marvels, from Latin, neuter plural of mirabilis wonderful, from mirari to wonder Date: 14th century 1. one that causes wonder or astonishment <her talent is a marvel to behold> 2. intense surprise or interest ; astonishment II. verb (marveled or marvelled; marveling or marvelling) Date: 14th century 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>

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a wonderful thing. 2 (foll. by of) a wonderful example of (a quality). --v.intr. (marvelled, marvelling; US marveled, marveling) literary 1 (foll. by at, or that + clause) feel surprise or wonder. 2 (foll. by how, why, etc. + clause) wonder. Phrases and idioms: marvel of Peru a showy garden plant, Mirabilis jalapa, with flowers opening in the afternoon. Derivatives: marveller n. Etymology: ME f. OF merveille, merveiller f. LL mirabilia neut. pl. of L mirabilis f. mirari wonder at: see MIRACLE

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Marvel Mar"vel, n. [OE. mervaile, F. merveille, fr. L. mirabilia wonderful things, pl., fr. mirabilis wonderful, fr. mirari to wonder or marvel at. See Admire, Smile, and cf. Miracle.] 1. That which causes wonder; a prodigy; a miracle. I will do marvels such as have not been done. --Ex. xxxiv. 10. Nature's sweet marvel undefiled. --Emerson. 2. Wonder. [R.] ``Use lessens marvel.'' --Sir W. Scott. Marvel of Peru. (Bot.) See Four-o'clock.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Marvel Mar"vel, v. i. [imp. & p. p. Marveledor Marvelled; p. pr. & vb. n. Marveling or Marvelling.] [OE. merveilen, OF. merveillier.] To be struck with surprise, astonishment, or wonder; to wonder. Marvel not, my brethren, if the world hate you. --1 john iii. 13.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Marvel Mar"vel, v. t. 1. To marvel at. [Obs.] --Wyclif. 2. To cause to marvel, or be surprised; -- used impersonally. [Obs.] But much now me marveleth. --Rich. the Redeless.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(marvels, marvelling, marvelled) Note: in AM, use 'marveling', 'marveled' 1. If you marvel at something, you express your great surprise, wonder, or admiration. Her fellow members marveled at her seemingly infinite energy... Sara and I read the story and marveled... 'That's the weirdest thing I've ever seen,' marveled Carl... He marvelled that a man in such intense pain could be so coherent. VERB: V at n, V, V with quote, V that 2. You can describe something or someone as a marvel to indicate that you think that they are wonderful. The whale, like the dolphin, has become a symbol of the marvels of creation... = wonder N-COUNT: oft N of n 3. Marvels are things that people have done, or that have happened, which are very unexpected or surprising. He's done marvels with the team... = wonders N-COUNT: usu pl

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

I. n. 1. Wonder, prodigy, miracle. 2. Wonder, admiration, astonishment, amazement, surprise. II. v. n. Wonder, be surprised, be astonished.

Moby Thesaurus

admiration, amaze, amazement, astonishing thing, astonishment, astoundment, awe, be amazed, be astonished, beaut, beguilement, bewilderment, breathless wonder, curiosity, dumbfoundment, exception, eyeful, fascination, gape, gawk, gaze, gazingstock, knockout, looker, lovely, marveling, marvelment, miracle, nonesuch, phenomenon, portent, prodigy, puzzlement, quite a thing, rarity, sensation, sense of mystery, sense of wonder, sight, something else, spectacle, stand aghast, stare, stare openmouthed, stunner, stupefaction, surprise, wonder, wonderful thing, wonderment