A marvel is something so wonderful, impressive, or surprising that it fills you with amazement. When you watch a hummingbird hover in mid-air, its wings beating 80 times per second, you're witnessing a marvel of nature. When you see the Golden Gate Bridge stretching across the San Francisco Bay, you're looking at a marvel of engineering.

The word captures that feeling of wonder when something exceeds what you thought was possible. Ancient people considered the pyramids of Egypt to be marvels. Today we marvel at spacecraft landing on Mars or at the intricate beauty of a snowflake under a microscope.

You can also use marvel as a verb, meaning to feel or express amazement. You might marvel at your friend's skill at solving a Rubik's Cube in under a minute, or marvel at how a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly.

The word suggests more than just “cool” or “neat.” When something is truly a marvel, it makes you pause and think about how extraordinary it is. Scientists marvel at discoveries that reveal new truths about the universe. You might marvel at your grandmother's stories about what life was like when she was young. A marvel is something that earns your genuine admiration and wonder.