marvelous

adjective

mar·​vel·​ous ˈmärv-(ə-)ləs 

variants or chiefly British marvellous

1

: causing wonder : astonishing

the marvelous directional sense of migrating birds

2

: miraculous, supernatural

Gothic tales of marvelous and bizarre happenings

3

: of the highest kind or quality : notably superior

has a marvelous way with children

marvelously adverb

or chiefly British marvellously

marvelously inventive

sang marvelously

marvelousness noun

or chiefly British marvellousness

Synonyms

• amazing
• astonishing
• astounding
• awesome
• awful
• eye-opening
• fabulous
• miraculous
• portentous
• prodigious
• staggering
• stunning
• stupendous
• sublime
• surprising
• wonderful
• wondrous

Examples of marvelous in a Sentence

We had a marvelous time at the party.

He has a marvelous way with children.

The weather was simply marvelous.

Recent Examples on the Web

But what marvelous results: Thirty unbroken miles of lakefront open to the public; wide boulevards and spectacular parks, and more. —Jim Nowlan, Chicago Tribune, 18 June 2025

Condon is marvelous as the tough techie who, naturally, falls for Sonny, because the dude is Brad Pitt. —Jordan Hoffman, EW.com, 17 June 2025

While this tranquil resort comes complete with beachfront suites and lavish villas, those who venture beyond property limits can discover a truly marvelous natural feature in the form of the Caicos Bank. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes.com, 25 May 2025

In response, the company hired a legendary PR consultant who concluded that there was only one way DuPont could escape the controversy: by transforming itself in the public’s mind from a maker of deadly munitions into a source of marvelous inventions that benefited the general public. —Mariah Blake, The Atlantic, 5 May 2025

Word History

Etymology

Middle English merveillous, borrowed from Anglo-French, from merveille marvel entry 1 + -ous -ous

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for marvelous

• marvellous

Kids Definition

marvelous

adjective

mar·​vel·​ous

variants or marvellous

ˈmärv-(ə-)ləs 

1

: causing wonder or astonishment

2

: having the characteristics of a miracle

3

: of the highest kind or quality : splendid

we had a marvelous time

marvelously adverb

marvelousness noun