1
: one that causes wonder or astonishment
her talent is a marvel to behold
… with that marvel of architecture before our eyes …—
Martha Kean
Martha Kean2
: intense surprise or interest : astonishment
… his voice filled with marvel …—Mordecai Richler
Mordecai Richler
marveled or marvelled; marveling or marvelling
ˈmärv-liŋ 
ˈmär-və-
: to become filled with surprise, wonder, or amazed curiosity
marveled at the magician's skill
: to feel astonishment or perplexity at or about
marveled that they had escaped
Synonyms
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 WebElisa Raffa, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
That the grain of the marvel was always there is sensed only in retrospect.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
And that’s not to mention those who are enamored of the mechanical marvels of Indiana Jones or James Bond movies.
—Jane Margolies, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2024
Best Hotels and Resorts Cheval Blanc Perched just over the Pont Neuf in the historic Samaritaine department store, this 72-room marvel is a beacon of luxury (of the LVMH variety).
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
National Engineers Week provides an opportunity to reflect on the technological marvels that engineers have gifted to the world, marvels such as the Panama Canal.
—Thomas Bostick, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
Everybody within the Hornets’ organization marvels at the season Bridges is putting together, pointing to the difficulty associated with attaining — and sustaining — a certain level of play in a league boasting the world’s top athletes in the sport.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2024
Central Arizona Project authorized The Central Arizona Project, largely considered an engineering marvel, was authorized by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2024
Here were the other statistical marvels Monday at Xcel Energy Center:
— Canucks center J.T. Miller had a hat trick himself.
—Dave Campbell, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024
Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Millions of people will tilt their heads skyward on Monday, marveling at a total solar eclipse.
—Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Online commentators also marveled at Yellen’s dexterity with chopsticks, after a Weibo account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV released a short video showing her dining at a Cantonese restaurant in Guangzhou.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Two years later, the hospital published an article marveling over her weight-loss journey.
—Audrey Richardson and Aurora Sousanis, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
Delegates tried on Wide Awake capes and marveled at torchlit processions.
—Jon Grinspan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
When Milan and crosstown rival FC Internazionale (Inter) met for a rare matchup in Europe’s Champions League last May, soccer commentators marveled at the atmosphere fans created in the stadium.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2024
In its pages, Kahneman marveled at great length over the findings of a subfield of psychology known as social priming.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
The couple have piloted their sailboat underneath the bridge and marveled at its height.
—Peter Nicholas, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024
Noun
Related article While many flock to see the eclipse, these cultures are doing something different
A total of 32 million people in the US are located within the eclipse’s 115-mile-wide path of totality and will have the chance to see the cosmological marvel.
—Elisa Raffa, CNN, 7 Apr. 2024
That the grain of the marvel was always there is sensed only in retrospect.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 4 Apr. 2024
And that’s not to mention those who are enamored of the mechanical marvels of Indiana Jones or James Bond movies.
—Jane Margolies, San Diego Union-Tribune, 30 Mar. 2024
Best Hotels and Resorts Cheval Blanc Perched just over the Pont Neuf in the historic Samaritaine department store, this 72-room marvel is a beacon of luxury (of the LVMH variety).
—Sophie Dodd, Travel + Leisure, 22 Mar. 2024
National Engineers Week provides an opportunity to reflect on the technological marvels that engineers have gifted to the world, marvels such as the Panama Canal.
—Thomas Bostick, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024
Everybody within the Hornets’ organization marvels at the season Bridges is putting together, pointing to the difficulty associated with attaining — and sustaining — a certain level of play in a league boasting the world’s top athletes in the sport.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 26 Mar. 2024
Central Arizona Project authorized The Central Arizona Project, largely considered an engineering marvel, was authorized by then-President Lyndon B. Johnson.
—Laura Daniella Sepulveda, The Arizona Republic, 20 Mar. 2024
Here were the other statistical marvels Monday at Xcel Energy Center:
— Canucks center J.T. Miller had a hat trick himself.
—Dave Campbell, USA TODAY, 20 Feb. 2024
Verb
All spring, the Dodgers marveled at how far ahead of schedule outfield prospect Andy Pages was in his recovery from shoulder surgery last season.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2024
Millions of people will tilt their heads skyward on Monday, marveling at a total solar eclipse.
—Nicholas Bogel-Burroughs, New York Times, 8 Apr. 2024
Online commentators also marveled at Yellen’s dexterity with chopsticks, after a Weibo account affiliated with state broadcaster CCTV released a short video showing her dining at a Cantonese restaurant in Guangzhou.
—Nectar Gan, CNN, 8 Apr. 2024
Two years later, the hospital published an article marveling over her weight-loss journey.
—Audrey Richardson and Aurora Sousanis, USA TODAY, 6 Apr. 2024
Delegates tried on Wide Awake capes and marveled at torchlit processions.
—Jon Grinspan, Smithsonian Magazine, 1 Apr. 2024
When Milan and crosstown rival FC Internazionale (Inter) met for a rare matchup in Europe’s Champions League last May, soccer commentators marveled at the atmosphere fans created in the stadium.
—Paolo Confino, Fortune, 30 Mar. 2024
In its pages, Kahneman marveled at great length over the findings of a subfield of psychology known as social priming.
—Daniel Engber, The Atlantic, 28 Mar. 2024
The couple have piloted their sailboat underneath the bridge and marveled at its height.
—Peter Nicholas, NBC News, 26 Mar. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'marvel.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near marvel
Cite this Entry
“Marvel.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/marvel. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids 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
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