Wonder
Wonder , noun
[Old English wonder, wunder, Anglo-Saxon wundor; akin to Dutch wonder, Old Saxon wundar, Old High German wuntar, German wunder, Icelandic undr, Swedish & Danish under, and perhaps to Greek {not transcribed} to gaze at.]
1.
That emotion which is excited by novelty, or the presentation to the sight or mind of something new, unusual, strange, great, extraordinary, or not well understood; surprise; astonishment; admiration; amazement.
They were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
Wonder is the effect of novelty upon ignorance.
Wonder expresses less than astonishment, and much less than amazement. It differs from admiration, as now used, in not being necessarily accompanied with love, esteem, or approbation.
2.
A cause of wonder; that which excites surprise; a strange thing; a prodigy; a miracle.
Babylon, the wonder of all tongues.
To try things oft, and never to give over, doth wonders.
I am as a wonder unto many.
Collocations (1)
Seven wonders of the world , See in the Dictionary of Noted Names in Fiction.
Wonder , intransitive verb
[Anglo-Saxon wundrian.]
1.
To be affected with surprise or admiration; to be struck with astonishment; to be amazed; to marvel.
I could not sufficiently wonder at the intrepidity of these diminutive mortals.
We cease to wonder at what we understand.
2.
To feel doubt and curiosity; to wait with uncertain expectation; to query in the mind; as, he wondered why they came.
I wonder, in my soul,
What you would ask me, that I should deny.
Wonder , adjective
Wonderful. [Obsolete] — Gower
After that he said a wonder thing.
Wonder , adverb
Wonderfully. [Obsolete] — Chaucer