marvel

1 of 2

noun

mar·​vel ˈmär-vəl 

1

: one that causes wonder or astonishment

her talent is a marvel to behold

… with that marvel of architecture before our eyes …

—Martha Kean

2

: intense surprise or interest : astonishment

… his voice filled with marvel …

—Mordecai Richler

marvel

2 of 2

verb

marveled or marvelled; marveling or marvelling ˈmärv-liŋ 

ˈmär-və-

intransitive verb

: to become filled with surprise, wonder, or amazed curiosity

marveled at the magician's skill

transitive verb

: to feel astonishment or perplexity at or about

marveled that they had escaped

Synonyms

Noun

• miracle
• wonder
• phenomenon

Examples of marvel in a Sentence

Noun

that new electric car really is a marvel

Verb

The doctors marveled that anyone could recover so quickly.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

And the Sixers just spent the No. 3 overall pick in this year’s NBA draft on VJ Edgecombe, an athletic marvel who showed promising flashes in summer league before suffering a thumb injury. —Bryan Toporek, Forbes.com, 26 Aug. 2025

Completed in the 1970s, the World Trade Center's two 110-story skyscrapers were considered architectural marvels, and quickly became central to New York's global identity. —Alice Gibbs, MSNBC Newsweek, 22 Aug. 2025

Verb

Dave Toub, who has coached with Reid for 20 seasons, including stops at Missouri and the Philadelphia Eagles, marvels at Reid’s ability to not sleep. —Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star, 12 Aug. 2025

Fans from as far as Alaska have made the pilgrimage to Smitty’s to marvel at his den of curiosities. —Katherine Laidlaw, HubSpot, 8 Aug. 2025

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English merveile, mervayle "something causing astonishment, miracle," borrowed from Anglo-French merveille, going back to Gallo-Romance *merevelia, altered from Latin mīrābilia, noun derivative from neuter plural of mīrābilis "causing wonder, remarkable," from mīrārī "to be surprised, look with wonder at" + -bilis "capable of (acting or being acted upon)" — more at admire, -able

Verb

Middle English merveilen, mervaylen, borrowed from Anglo-French merveiller, derivative of merveille marvel entry 1

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense

Rhymes for marvel

• larval

Kids Definition

marvel

1 of 2 noun

mar·​vel ˈmär-vəl 

: one that causes wonder or astonishment

marvel

2 of 2 verb

marveled or marvelled; marveling or marvelling ˈmärv-(ə-)liŋ 

: to become filled with surprise or astonishment

marveled at the magician's skill