English Reference
adjective · adverb

wonderful

adj. · adv.
US /ˈwəndɝfəɫ/ UK /wˈʌndəfəl/ won·der·ful

  1. 01 A1 Beginner

    adj.very good, pleasant, or enjoyable.

    adj.extremely good, pleasant, or admirable. Often used as a general-service superlative for positive experiences.

    Simple

    We had a wonderful time at the beach last weekend.

    In context

    The local community provided a wonderful reception for the visiting delegates, ensuring every guest felt welcomed and valued.

  2. 02 B2 Upper Intermediate Literary

    adj.making you feel surprise and admiration because something is beautiful or amazing.

    adj.tending to excite wonder; extraordinary or surprising in a way that inspires awe.

    Simple

    The view from the top of the mountain was truly wonderful.

    In context

    The cathedral's architecture is a wonderful example of medieval engineering, featuring intricate stonework that has survived for centuries.

  3. 03 C2 Proficiency Dialect

    adv.used in some local areas to mean 'very' or 'extremely'.

    adv.used as an intensifier meaning exceedingly or to a great extent. This usage is non-standard and restricted to specific regional varieties.

    Simple

    It is wonderful kind of you to help us with the harvest.

    In context

    The old man described the winter as being wonderful cold, using the local dialect to emphasise the severity of the frost.


From Middle English wonderful, wondirful, from Old English wundorful (“wonderful”), from Proto-West Germanic *wundrafull, equivalent to wonder + -ful. Cognate Dutch wondervol (“wonderful”), German wundervoll (“wonderful”). Compare Old English wuldorfull (“glorious”).

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

This entry
Origin gmw-pro *wundrafull
Level A1 · Beginner
Frequency Very common
Updated