wonders
/ˈwʌn.dər/ (bre, ipa) · [wˈʌndɚz] /ˈwʌn.dɚ/ (ame, ipa) · [wˈʌndɚz] /ˈwən-dər How to pronounce wonder (audio)/ (ame, mw)
wonders — verb
- wonderspresent simple I / you / we / they
- wonderses3rd person singular
- wondersing-ing form
- wondersedpast simple
1. to think about something because you want to know more about it or understand th
to think about something because you want to know more about it or understand the reason for it
Reema wondered why the maple tree in her backyard had lost its leaves so early.
wonder + why + clause
Hao wondered whether the overnight train would run on time during the snowstorm.
wonder + whether + clause
Dr. Amira picked up the unusual rock and wondered how old it could be.
Faisal wondered who had left the stack of old books on his front porch.
The children often wondered about the strange scratching noise that came from inside the attic wall.
- ponder
more deliberate and serious, often involving deep thought over time
- speculate
focuses on guessing or forming theories without enough facts
- be curious
more general; describes a personality trait rather than a specific mental act
文法句型
wonder + about + noun/noun phrase
wonder + if/whether + clause
wonder + wh-word + clause
常見錯誤
2. used to make a request or suggestion sound polite and less direct, especially wh
used to make a request or suggestion sound polite and less direct, especially when you are not sure the other person will agree
I was wondering if you could look over my application letter before I send it.
I was wondering if + subject + could… (most common polite frame)
Heather wondered whether Mr. Tanaka would be willing to reschedule the Tuesday meeting.
We were wondering if you would like to join us for dinner at the new Thai restaurant.
Salma wondered if the library could keep a copy of her novel on the new arrivals shelf.
I wonder if I might borrow your car for the weekend trip to the beach.
文法句型
wonder + if/whether + clause (polite request)
用法筆記
The past continuous form (I was wondering) is more tentative and polite than the simple present (I wonder). This sense almost always introduces a request; do not confuse with sense 1 (curiosity).
常見錯誤
3. to feel or show great surprise when something unexpected happens, often mixed wi
to feel or show great surprise when something unexpected happens, often mixed with admiration
Everyone wondered at how the tiny bird had flown all the way from Siberia to Taiwan.
wonder + at + noun clause
Lisa wondered at the ancient tree that had stood in the village square for over five hundred years.
The audience wondered at the magician's ability to make the silver coins disappear one by one.
Sofie wondered at the patience her grandmother showed while teaching her to knit the complicated pattern.
文法句型
wonder + at + noun/noun phrase
wonders — noun
1. a strong feeling of surprise and admiration that you experience when you see, he
a strong feeling of surprise and admiration that you experience when you see, hear, or encounter something very unusual, beautiful, or impressive
The children watched the puppet show with wide-eyed wonder, clapping after every scene.
collocation: with wonder
Caio looked up at the night sky and felt a sense of wonder at the thousands of visible stars.
collocation: sense of wonder
The scientist spoke about her discovery with genuine wonder, as if she were seeing it for the first time.
Tourists stood in wonder as the sun rose behind the ancient stone temple.
Dewi could not hide the wonder in her voice as she described her first view of the coral reef.
- awe
stronger, often includes a sense of fear or respect for something powerful
- amazement
focuses more on the surprise element than admiration
- fascination
implies a strong, continuing interest rather than a brief feeling
- indifference
lack of interest or feeling
- boredom
lack of excitement
文法句型
fill someone with wonder
sense of wonder
in wonder
2. an object or event that makes you feel amazed and impressed because it is striki
an object or event that makes you feel amazed and impressed because it is strikingly unusual or beautiful
The Grand Canyon is one of the most famous natural wonders in the world.
collocation: natural wonder
The ancient library of Alexandria was considered one of the great wonders of its time.
Quinn spent the afternoon exploring the wonders of the science museum, from dinosaur skeletons to space rockets.
The coral reefs around the islands are underwater wonders that attract divers from every continent.
Heather discovered the wonders of handmade pottery during her visit to the village workshop.
文法句型
the wonders of + noun
natural wonder
world wonder
3. a person who is extremely good at a particular activity or who produces impressi
a person who is extremely good at a particular activity or who produces impressively good results
Lisa is a wonder with a sewing machine — she turned an old curtain into a beautiful dress.
be a wonder with + tool / skill
The young mechanic was a wonder at fixing old motorcycle engines that other shops refused to touch.
Grandma Salma is a wonder in the kitchen; her mango sticky rice wins every village cooking contest.
People called the nurse a wonder for calming frightened children before their surgeries.
文法句型
be a wonder with + noun
be a wonder at + noun
wonders — adjective
- wonderspositive
- more wonderscomparative
- most wonderssuperlative
1. extremely good, impressive, or beautiful in a way that makes you feel admiration
extremely good, impressive, or beautiful in a way that makes you feel admiration and delight
The children explored the wonder garden, full of brightly coloured flowers they had never seen before.
Sivan described the wonder palace built entirely of sea shells and polished stones.
literary use: wonder + noun describing something extraordinary
The old fisherman told tales of a wonder island that appeared only once every hundred years.
Hao captured a photograph of the wonder sunset over the rice terraces in Bali.
- marvellous
more common in everyday British English
- wondrous
the more usual adjective form; carries a poetic or old-fashioned tone
- ordinary
not special or remarkable
文法句型
wonder + noun
2. causing great surprise and admiration because of being extremely unusual, impres
causing great surprise and admiration because of being extremely unusual, impressive, or powerful
The documentary showed wonder footage of the volcano erupting at night, with rivers of orange lava.
attributive: wonder footage / wonder + noun describing something impressive
Reema took her class to see the wonder display of dinosaur fossils at the natural history museum.
The photographer spent three weeks waiting for the wonder light that appears just before a desert storm.
The pilot flew through a wonder landscape of ice mountains and deep blue glaciers in Antarctica.
- astonishing
more direct and common; focuses on the surprise more than the beauty
- breathtaking
emphasises the emotional impact on the viewer
文法句型
wonder + noun
3. producing results that are surprisingly good or far more effective than what is
producing results that are surprisingly good or far more effective than what is normal or expected
The cream was advertised as a wonder cure that could remove acne scars in just three days.
collocation: wonder cure / wonder drug
The new kitchen gadget was supposed to be a wonder tool, but it broke after two weeks of use.
Caio bought a wonder cleaner from the home shopping channel that claimed to remove any stain from any surface.
Teachers called the reading programme a wonder method because it helped struggling students improve within months.
- miraculous
stronger, often implies a supernatural or extraordinary power
- miracle
used the same way but is technically a noun used as an adjective (a miracle drug)
- useless
producing no good results
文法句型
wonder + noun (medicine, product)