What does marvelled mean?
“Marvelled” is the past tense and past participle of “marvel,” meaning to feel or show amazement at something extraordinary. It can describe a person’s reaction, as in “the crowd marvelled at the display,” or function as an adjective describing an astonished expression, such as “a marvelled look.” The word has a slightly literary, attentive tone and suggests wonder rather than ordinary surprise. It is especially associated with British English, where the double “l” is standard; American English generally spells it “marveled.” The word is useful when describing a moment of genuine amazement, delight, or admiration, and it appears naturally with the preposition “at.”
To feel or express great wonder or amazement.
"The spectators marvelled at the skill of the dancers."
Often followed by “at”; the form is the British spelling of the verb's past tense and past participle.
Expressing or characterized by wonder or amazement.
"He cast a marvelled glance across the vast canyon."
Chiefly used in literary and carefully descriptive contexts.
One small word captures the moment when something extraordinary makes the world seem briefly impossible.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does marvelled come from?
The word comes from the Old French “merveillier,” meaning to marvel or wonder, which was derived from “merveille,” a word related to the Latin “mirabilia,” meaning wonders or marvellous things. In Middle English, “marvel” developed both as a verb meaning to wonder and as a noun meaning a wonder or something astonishing. The British form with two “l” letters reflects the spelling of the related form “marvellous” and the influence of British spelling conventions, while the US form “marveled” has one “l.”
Related word forms
How marvelled is actually used
“Marvelled” is a British spelling; American English normally uses “marveled.” The word is formal to moderately literary and is especially common in British English. It often takes “at” when its subject is the person experiencing wonder.
Easily confused with marvelled
“Marvelled” is the standard British spelling, while “marveled” is the standard US spelling of the same past tense and past participle.