# wonderful

/ˈwəndɝfəɫ/ (US) · /wˈʌndəfəl/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/wonderful
Updated: 2026-06-19

## Senses

### 1. excellent

adjective · CEFR A1

very good, pleasant, or enjoyable.

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

- We had a wonderful time at the beach last weekend.
- The local community provided a wonderful reception for the visiting delegates, ensuring every guest felt welcomed and valued.

### 2. inspiring wonder

adjective · CEFR B2 · Literary

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

For teachers: tending to excite wonder; extraordinary or surprising in a way that inspires awe.

- The view from the top of the mountain was truly wonderful.
- The cathedral's architecture is a wonderful example of medieval engineering, featuring intricate stonework that has survived for centuries.

### 3. very

adverb · CEFR C2 · Dialect

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

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

- It is wonderful kind of you to help us with the harvest.
- The old man described the winter as being wonderful cold, using the local dialect to emphasise the severity of the frost.

## Examples

- We had a wonderful time at the park today.
- The weather was wonderful for our wedding, with clear blue skies and a gentle breeze all afternoon.
- The gallery's latest exhibition offers a wonderful exploration of light and shadow, capturing the subtle shifts of the seasons through a series of large-scale oil paintings.

---

From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.