wonder

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noun

1 feeling of surprise/admiration

ADJECTIVE

▪ great

▪ childlike, wide-eyed

VERB + WONDER

▪ feel

▪ express

▪

There aren't any words to express properly all the wonder that I feel.

▪ be filled with, be full of

▪

The children's faces were full of wonder as they gazed up at the Christmas tree.

WONDER + NOUN

▪ drug

PREPOSITION

▪ in wonder

▪

Neville shook his head in wonder at it all

▪

She gazed down in wonder at the city spread below her.

▪ with wonder

▪

She held her breath with wonder and delight.

▪ wonder at

PHRASES

▪ a feeling of wonder, a sense of wonder

2 amazing thing/person

ADJECTIVE

▪ natural

▪

Iceland is full hot springs and other natural wonders.

▪ architectural, technological, etc.

▪ constant

▪

It was a constant wonder to me that my father didn't die of exhaustion.

▪ nine days' (esp. BrE), seven-day

▪

She was determined to prove she was no seven-day wonder whose promise would remain unfulfilled.

▪ boy (humorous)

▪

the new boy wonder of French football

▪ one-hit (humorous)

▪

The band was a one-hit wonder in the '80s—no one has heard of them since.

▪ chinless (esp. BrE), gutless (esp. AmE) (both humorous)

▪

The public thinks we're a bunch of gutless wonders.

VERB + WONDER

▪ discover, experience, explore

▪

Now it is your turn to discover the wonder of Bermuda.

▪ appreciate

PHRASES

▪ do wonders (for sb/sth), work wonders (for sb/sth)

▪

The change of diet has done wonders for my skin.

▪

A good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast worked wonders.

▪ is it any wonder (that) … ?

▪ (it's) little wonder, (it's) no wonder, (it's) small wonder

▪

No wonder you're still single—you never go out!

▪ a wonder to behold

▪

The restored painting is a wonder to behold.

▪ the wonders of nature, the wonders of science, the wonders of technology

▪

Thanks to the wonders of modern science, many common diseases will soon be things of the past.

▪ the wonders of the world

▪

The palace has been described as the eighth wonder of the world.

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verb

ADVERB

▪ idly, vaguely

▪

I wondered vaguely whether Robert could be the murderer.

▪ briefly, fleetingly

▪ uneasily

▪

I wondered uneasily if anything had happened to the children.

▪ irritably

▪ aloud

▪

‘Where's Natasha?’ she wondered aloud.

▪ just

▪

‘Why do you ask?’ ‘I just wondered.’

▪ always

▪

I always wondered why you never got married.

▪ often, sometimes

▪

I sometimes wonder who's crazier, him or me.

▪ probably

▪

You're probably wondering what all the fuss is about.

VERB + WONDER

▪ begin to, start to

▪

I was just beginning to wonder where you were.

▪ cannot help but, can only, have to

▪

I couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.

▪

You have to wonder just what he sees in her.

▪ make sb

▪

He's behaving so strangely. It makes you wonder whether he's in trouble somehow.

PREPOSITION

▪ about

▪

We'd wondered about you as a possible team member.

PHRASES

▪ can't help wondering

▪

I can't help wondering if he lost on purpose.

▪ keep wondering

Wonder is used with these nouns as the subject: ↑sceptic