wonder

[[t]wʌ̱ndə(r)[/t]]

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wonders, wondering, wondered

1) VERB If you wonder about something, you think about it, either because it interests you and you want to know more about it, or because you are worried or suspicious about it.

[V wh] I wondered what that noise was...

[V about n] `He claims to be her father,' said Max. `We've been wondering about him.'...

[V about n] It makes you wonder about the effect on men's behaviour...

[V with quote] `Why does she want to get in there?' Pete wondered...

But there was something else, too. Not hard evidence, but it made me wonder.

2) VERB If you wonder at something, you are very surprised about it or think about it in a very surprised way.

[V at n] He liked to sit and wonder at all that had happened...

[V at n] Walk down Castle Street, admire our little jewel of a cathedral, then wonder at the castle...

[V that] We all wonder you're still alive.

3) N-SING If you say that it is a wonder that something happened, you mean that it is very surprising and unexpected.

It's a wonder that it took almost ten years...

The wonder is that Olivier was not seriously hurt.

4) N-UNCOUNT Wonder is a feeling of great surprise and pleasure that you have, for example when you see something that is very beautiful, or when something happens that you thought was impossible.

`That's right!' Bobby exclaimed in wonder. `How did you remember that?'...

I was expressing some amazement and wonder at her good fortune...

Cross shook his head in wonder.

Syn:

awe

5) N-COUNT: usu the N of n/-ing A wonder is something that causes people to feel great surprise or admiration.

...a lecture on the wonders of space and space exploration.

...the wonder of seeing his name in print...

The East Window is a wonder of medieval glazing.

6) ADJ: ADJ n If you refer, for example, to a young man as a wonder boy, or to a new product as a wonder drug, you mean that they are believed by many people to be very good or very effective.

Mickelson was hailed as the wonder boy of American golf...

Dr Williams describes it as a potential wonder drug.

7) PHRASE: v-link PHR (disapproval) If you say that someone or something is a nine -day wonder or a one -day wonder, you disapprove of the fact that they are attracting so much interest and attention, because you think that their popularity will only last for a very short time.

Harry dismissed his old friend's speech as `a nine-day wonder'...

Some supernova researchers wondered if it might be just a nine-day wonder.

8) PHRASE: V inflects, usu PHR wh (politeness) You can say `I wonder' if you want to be very polite when you are asking someone to do something, or when you are asking them for their opinion or for information.

I was just wondering if you could help me...

I just wonder what you make of all that...

I'm wondering if that was the spirit in the courtroom, too.

9) PHRASE: PHR that If you say `no wonder', `little wonder', or `small wonder', you mean that something is not surprising.

No wonder my brother wasn't feeling well...

Under such circumstances, it is little wonder that they experience difficulties...

Small wonder that he decided to take no part in the debate.

10) PHRASE: PHR that You can say `No wonder' when you find out the reason for something that has been puzzling you for some time.

Brad was Jane's brother! No wonder he reminded me so much of her!

11) PHRASE: V inflects, oft PHR for n/-ing, PHR with/on n If you say that a person or thing works wonders or does wonders, you mean that they have a very good effect on something.

A few moments of relaxation can work wonders...

Rushton has done wonders for the industry.