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

While Raffles Boston comes equipped with a truly marvelous dining scene, the property also offers a wealth of other luxurious amenities. —Jared Ranahan, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2025

Host Francesca Street chronicles marvelous real-life stories of incredible travel connections, starting with an Italian woman and an American man who met by chance in London’s Trafalgar Square in 1984. —Maureen O'Hare, CNN, 15 Feb. 2025

Philadelphia fans had a marvelous time Sunday, watching their Eagles ruin the last great American dynasty with a 40-22 victory over the two-time-defending Super Bowl champs. —David K. Li, NBC News, 13 Feb. 2025

At the Getty Villa, the marvelous exhibition rescued from the Palisades fire. —Ryan Fonseca, Los Angeles Times, 12 Feb. 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

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