Inspiring wonder or amazement; remarkable or extraordinary in a surprising way.
From Middle English 'wondrous,' derived from 'wonder' (Old English 'wundor,' a marvel) plus '-ous' (full of). The '-ous' suffix comes from Latin.
The word 'wondrous' is almost archaic now—we say 'wonderful' or 'amazing' instead—but 'wondrous' survives in poetry and fantasy literature because it sounds more majestic and mysterious, proving that older word forms carry emotional resonance beyond their meaning.
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