Reading Theme:
Marvellous: Definition, Usage & Examples (2 meaning)
Meaning 1：excellent (marvellous)
marvellous
/ˈmɑːrvələs/
adj.
Extremely good or excellent, causing great pleasure and admiration.
excellent
➕
/ˈɛksələnt/
adj.
Describing something that is extremely good and brings great pleasure.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Root Explanation
From Latin 'mirabilis' (wonderful), via Old French 'merveille'. Suffix '-ous' means 'full of'.
💡 Mnemonic
Marvel (to wonder) + ous (full of) = full of wonder.
📖 Example
We went to see a marvellous musical last night; the singing gave me goosebumps.
We attended an excellent musical last night, and the singing was so good it gave me goosebumps.
🔗 Collocations
marvellous performance – an excellent performance
marvellous view – a wonderful view
marvellous achievement – a great achievement
🌱 Derivatives
marvellously (adv.) – in an excellent manner
marvel (n.) – something that causes wonder
📖 Cultural Story
Originates from Latin 'mirabilis', meaning wonderful. Commonly used in British English to express high admiration, e.g., in reviews of performances or achievements.
Meaning 2：wonderful (marvellous)
marvellous
/ˈmɑːrvələs/
adj.
So good or extraordinary that it causes wonder and astonishment.
wonderful
➕
/ˈwʌndərfʊl/
adj.
Describing something so good or extraordinary that it causes wonder and astonishment.
📘 Details & Usage
📖 Example
It’s marvellous how quickly she learned to play that difficult piece on the piano.
It's wonderful how fast she mastered that challenging piano piece.
🔗 Collocations
marvellous feat – an astonishing achievement
marvellous discovery – a wonderful discovery
marvellous talent – exceptional talent
🔄 Synonyms
amazing (adj.) – causing great surprise or wonder
astonishing (adj.) – very surprising
remarkable (adj.) – worthy of attention
🌱 Derivatives
marvellousness (n.) – the quality of being marvellous
marvel (v.) – to be filled with wonder
Wordbook
Your data is saved in this browser