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marvel

C1
verbnoun

Pronunciation

UK

  • /mˈɑːvəl/

US

  • /ˈmɑrvəl/

Description

To marvel at something is to feel strong surprise and admiration. You might marvel at a bright sunset, a beautiful building, or someone's great skill. It is stronger than simply liking something. The word can also be a noun for something amazing itself. If you watch a magician do a trick, you may marvel at it. If the trick is very impressive, you could call it a marvel. So the word can describe both the feeling and the thing that causes it.

Examples

  1. 1

    Engineering achievement

    The new bridge is a marvel of engineering.

  2. 2

    Future technology

    A smartphone would have seemed like a marvel to people a hundred years ago.

  3. 3

    Visual wonder

    Tourists stopped to marvel at the colors in the evening sky.

    • Pattern

      marvel at + thing

      look at or think about it with surprise and admiration

  4. 4

    Surprising skill

    I still marvel that she learned the song after hearing it only once.

    • Pattern

      marvel that + clause

      feel surprised that something is true

  5. 5

    Ancient objects

    The museum is full of ancient marvels from around the world.

  6. 6

    Lucky outcome

    It’s a marvel that no one was injured in the crash.

    • Pattern

      it’s a marvel that + clause

      it is surprising, often in a lucky or fortunate way

Forms and spellings

5 forms open this card.

Main spelling

  • marvelnounverb

Forms

  • marvelspluralnounverb
  • marveledpast tenseverbnoun
  • marvelledpast tenseverbnoun
  • marveling-ing formverbnoun