Wonder Means Both Amazement and Curiosity
To wonder is to feel amazement, or to ask oneself a question. English uses one word for the emotion and the inquiry it produces.
To wonder is to feel amazement, and also to ask yourself a question. English packs both into one word, which is neater than it looks: wonder as an emotion is what you feel at something inexplicable, and wonder as a verb is what you then do about it. Aristotle made the same connection, arguing that philosophy begins in wonder.
- To feel amazement. *We wondered at the scale of it.*
- To ask oneself. *I wonder where they went.*
- Something remarkable. *One of the seven wonders.*
- No wonder — unsurprisingly. *No wonder he was tired.*
- Wonderful — excellent. *A wonderful evening.*
Word forms
| Form | Word | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Verb | wonder | I wonder why. |
| Past | wondered | She wondered aloud. |
| Noun | wonder | A natural wonder. |
| Adjective | wonderful | A wonderful result. |
| Adjective | wondrous | A wondrous sight. |
- I wonder whether it will rain.Curiosity.
- The cave is a natural wonder.Something remarkable.
- No wonder the door stuck.Fixed phrase.
The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World
- Great Pyramid of Giza — the only one still standing
- Hanging Gardens of Babylon — never firmly located
- Statue of Zeus at Olympia
- Temple of Artemis at Ephesus
- Mausoleum at Halicarnassus, Colossus of Rhodes, Lighthouse of Alexandria — complete the list
Old English *wundor*, a marvellous thing, from a Germanic root of unknown further origin. The verb is recorded in both senses from Old English onward.
Is I wonder a question?
It is a statement in form but often a polite question in effect. I wonder whether you could help is a request, not a musing.
How many of the Seven Wonders survive?
One. The Great Pyramid of Giza is the only ancient wonder still standing.