wonderful
wonderful
Pronunciation
Wonderful: /ˈwʌndərfəl/
wun- /wʌn/
/w/: Voiced labial-velar approximant
/ʌ/: Open-mid back unrounded vowel (as in "cup")
/n/: Voiced alveolar nasal
-der- /dər/ (often pronounced as a syllabic 'r' /dər/ or a schwa-r /dəɹ/)
/d/: Voiced alveolar plosive
/ər/ (or /əɹ/): R-colored vowel /ɚ/ (as in "bird") or schwa /ə/ followed by /ɹ/
-ful /fəl/
/f/: Voiceless labiodental fricative
/ə/: Schwa (as in "sofa")
/l/: Voiced alveolar lateral approximant
Word Form Variations
Adjective: wonderful
Adverb: wonderfully
Noun: wonderfulness
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective: wonderful
Inspiring awe, admiration, or delight; exceptionally good or impressive.
Synonyms: amazing, marvelous, splendid, fantastic, superb, excellent, magnificent, glorious
Antonyms: terrible, awful, dreadful, horrible, mediocre, mundane, ordinary
Possessing qualities that evoke a strong positive emotional response due to their beauty, skill, or unexpected nature.
Synonyms: captivating, enchanting, delightful, charming, admirable, astounding, impressive
Antonyms: uninspiring, disagreeable, unpleasant, disappointing
Adverb: wonderfully
In a manner that is excellent, admirable, or remarkably good; to a very great extent.
Synonyms: superbly, magnificently, splendidly, fantastically, marvelously, excellently
Antonyms: terribly, awfully, poorly, badly, unremarkably
So as to cause great pleasure or admiration.
Synonyms: delightfully, charmingly, enchantingly, admirably
Antonyms: unpleasantly, disappointingly, disagreeably
Noun: wonderfulness
The quality or state of being wonderful; the inherent excellence or admirable nature of something.
Synonyms: splendor, magnificence, marvel, excellence, impressiveness, glory
Antonyms: terribleness, awfulness, dreadfulness, mediocrity, ordinariness
Examples of Use
Books: "It was a wonderful opportunity, a chance to prove herself in a field dominated by men" (from The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, August 2020).
Newspapers: "The local community garden has had a wonderful harvest this year, providing fresh produce for hundreds of families" ( The Daily Herald, October 2024).
Online Publications: "This new AI model can generate incredibly wonderful and realistic images from simple text prompts" ( TechCrunch, May 2025).
Film: In the movie It's a Wonderful Life (December 1946), the title itself exemplifies the word's use, highlighting the protagonist's realization of the value of his life.
Music: The song "What a Wonderful World" by Louis Armstrong (October 1967) uses the word repeatedly to express appreciation for the beauty of the world.
Television Series: "You've done a wonderful job organizing this event, truly outstanding!" (from an episode of Ted Lasso, Apple TV+, September 2021).
Podcast: "Our guest today shared some wonderful insights into the future of sustainable energy" (from an episode of The Daily podcast, The New York Times, February 2025).
Social Media (X/Twitter): "Just finished a wonderful hike in the mountains! The views were breathtaking. #nature #adventure" (User @OutdoorExplorer, November 2024).
General Public Discourse: "We had a wonderful time at the family reunion last weekend. It was great to see everyone." (Heard in conversation, March 2025).
Public Speaking/Speech: "It is a wonderful privilege to stand before you today and share this important message" (From a commencement speech delivered at a university, May 2024).
10 Quotes Using Wonderful
"How wonderful it is that nobody need wait a single moment before starting to improve the world." - Anne Frank
"Life itself is the most wonderful fairy tale." - Hans Christian Andersen
"You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality." - Walt Disney
"We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures that we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open." - Jawaharlal Nehru
"Appreciation is a wonderful thing: It makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well." - Voltaire
"No matter what happens in life, be good to people. Being good to people is a wonderful legacy to leave behind." - Taylor Swift
"If people knew how hard I worked to get my mastery, it wouldn't seem so wonderful at all." - Michelangelo
"It's a wonderful thing to be optimistic. It keeps you healthy and it keeps you resilient." - Daniel Kahneman
"Technology is nothing. What's important is that you have a faith in people, that they're basically good and smart, and if you give them tools, they'll do wonderful things with them." - Steve Jobs
"The brain is a wonderful organ; it starts working the moment you get up in the morning and does not stop until you get into the office." - Robert Frost
Etymology
The word "wonderful" comes from two older English words: "wonder" and "-ful."
"Wonder" meant a feeling of surprise, awe, or admiration caused by something unusual or unexpected. It could also refer to the thing itself that caused this feeling. This word has very old roots in Germanic languages.
The suffix "-ful" is used to mean "full of" or "characterized by." Think of other words like "beautiful" (full of beauty) or "hopeful" (full of hope).
So, when these two parts came together, "wonderful" literally meant "full of wonder" or "causing wonder."
The first known use of "wonderful" in this sense, meaning something that causes astonishment or admiration, dates back to the late 13th century. Initially, it often carried a stronger sense of something supernatural or miraculous that inspired awe, but over time, it broadened to describe anything exceptionally good or impressive.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Wonderful
Wonderful to see you! (Common greeting)
Wonderful world (Often refers to the beauty and amazement of the world, famously in a song title)
Wonderful time (Refers to having an enjoyable experience)
Doing wonderfully (Indicates someone is doing very well)
A wonderful opportunity (Describes a great chance)
Feeling wonderful (Expressing a state of great well-being)
What a wonderful thought! (Expresses approval of an idea)
A wonderful piece of news (Describes excellent information)
A marvelous stroke of luck (Using a synonym, means a very fortunate turn of events)
An amazing feat (Using a synonym, describes an impressive accomplishment)
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of wonderful from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
