What does "wonder" mean?

1. (to be curious) to think about something because you want to know more about it or you are not sure about it. 2. (to be amazed) to feel very surprised or full of admiration for something. 3. (a feeling of awe) a feeling of surprise and admiration, often because something is beautiful or new. 4. (a marvel) something that is very impressive, beautiful, or surprising. 5. (a quick thought) a quick thought or a moment of thinking about something.

How do you use "wonder"?

Often followed by 'if', 'whether', or question words like 'why' and 'how'. Usually takes the preposition 'at'.

wonder — meaning, definition & examples

Q: Is it correct to say "I am wondering if to go."?

No — say "I am wondering whether to go.". When 'wonder' is followed by a choice or doubt, use 'whether' or 'if' with a full clause, not an infinitive.

Word

01to be curious

B1 · Intermediate

v. to think about something because you want to know more about it or you are not sure about it.

v. to ponder or feel curiosity about something; to query a matter in one's mind.

“I wonder why the shop is closed so early today.”

“Economists wonder whether the recent shift in consumer spending is a temporary reaction or a permanent change in market behaviour.”

Usage

Often followed by 'if', 'whether', or question words like 'why' and 'how'.

Pitfall

I am wondering if to go.

I am wondering whether to go.

When 'wonder' is followed by a choice or doubt, use 'whether' or 'if' with a full clause, not an infinitive.

Synonyms

ponder query question

02to be amazed

B2 · Upper Intermediate

v. to feel very surprised or full of admiration for something.

v. to be affected by surprise or admiration; to marvel at a specific stimulus.

“Visitors often wonder at the size of the ancient cathedral.”

“The researchers could only wonder at the complexity of the neural pathways they were observing for the first time.”

Usage

Usually takes the preposition 'at'.

Synonyms

marvelgape

03a feeling of awe

B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun

n. a feeling of surprise and admiration, often because something is beautiful or new.

n. a state of awe or admiration inspired by something beautiful, unexpected, or inexplicable.

“The children looked at the fireworks with wonder in their eyes.”

“The sheer scale of the mountain range filled the hikers with a sense of wonder that stayed with them for years.”

Synonyms

awe amazement fascination

Antonyms

indifference boredom

04a marvel

B1 · Intermediate Countable noun

n. something that is very impressive, beautiful, or surprising.

n. an object, person, or event that causes amazement or great admiration.

“The Great Wall of China is one of the wonders of the world.”

“The new medical treatment is a wonder of modern science, saving lives that would have been lost a decade ago.”

Synonyms

marvel miracle phenomenon

05a quick thought

B2 · Upper Intermediate Countable noun British English · Informal

n. a quick thought or a moment of thinking about something.

n. a brief period of mental pondering or a casual thought.

“I'll have a wonder about where we should go for dinner.”

“After having a quiet wonder about the proposal, she decided to ask for more specific details before signing.”

Teaching tip

This sense is specifically British and very informal; 'have a think' is a more common alternative in the same register.

Synonyms

thought ponder

Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “wonder” in context.

Verb

01. express wonder at the view

“The tourists expressed wonder at the beautiful view from the mountain top.”

verb + noun + prep + adj + noun

02. fill with wonder

“The sight of the northern lights filled the children with wonder.”

verb + prep + noun

Adjective

03. childlike wonder

“She looked at the Christmas tree with a sense of childlike wonder.”

adj + noun

04. sheer wonder

“We stood in silence, staring at the grand canyon in sheer wonder.”

adj + noun

Noun

05. look of wonder

“There was a look of wonder on his face when he saw the ocean for the first time.”

noun + of + noun

06. sense of wonder

“The science museum is designed to give visitors a sense of wonder about the universe.”

noun + of + noun

Preposition

07. in wonder

“They gazed in wonder at the ancient ruins.”

prep + noun

08. with wonder

“The audience watched the magician's performance with wonder.”

prep + noun

“I’ve come to believe that wonder, the most immense of our sensations, is the antidote.”

The Atlantic 4 Sept 2026

From Old English wundor, a noun for marvel or miracle, descended through Proto-West Germanic wundr and Proto-Germanic wundrą. The cognates spread across the Germanic languages: Dutch wonder, German Wunder, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish under, Icelandic undur, and Scots wunner.

The verb follows a parallel track. Old English wundrian, from Proto-Germanic wundrōną, yielded Middle English wondren. The same root produced Saterland Frisian wunnerje, West Frisian wûnderje, Dutch wonderen, Low German wunnern, German wundern, Swedish undra, and Icelandic undra.

A distant PIE cognate survives in English wish.

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

VERB

wonder(B1)

NOUN

wonderland(B2)

ADJECTIVE

wonderful(A1)

wondrous(C1)