What does marvellousness mean?
Marvellousness is an uncommon, formal noun for the quality of being marvellous: wonderful, impressive, or remarkable in an unusually striking way. It differs from marvellous, which describes a person, place, object, event, or experience, by naming the quality itself as an abstract concept. The word often appears in descriptions of art, architecture, nature, discovery, or performance, where the subject is valued for its beauty or extraordinary character. Its relatively uncommon vocabulary gives it an elevated, literary tone, so it is less suitable for routine conversation than expressions such as wonderfulness or the simple adjective marvellous. In British English the standard spelling is marvellousness, while American English normally uses marvelousness. The word is especially useful when a writer wishes to emphasize not merely that something is good, but that it possesses a distinctive sense of wonder or magnificence.
nounThe quality of being marvellous, wonderful, or exceptionally remarkable. It is a formal and relatively uncommon noun for an impressive or delightful quality.
- The quality of being marvellous, wonderful, or exceptionally remarkable.
"The marvellousness of the old theatre was most apparent when the curtain rose at night."
"The marvellousness of the discovery astonished the scientific community."
"Her performance captured the marvellousness of the original production while giving it a new vitality."
Rarely used in the plural, since marvellousness is normally treated as an abstract or mass noun.
"The play explores the different marvellousnesses of the natural world."
Marvellousness turns the simple “wow” into a name for a quality so striking that it deserves to be admired in its own right.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does marvellousness come from?
The word is formed by adding the English suffix -ness to marvellous, which comes through Old French from the Latin mirari, “to wonder or be amazed.” The suffix -ness has Old English roots and is used broadly in English to form abstract nouns denoting qualities or states. The resulting noun has followed the adjective into modern spelling, with marvellousness generally used in British English and marvelousness in American English.
Related word forms
How marvellousness is actually used
Marvellousness is formal and literary, and is much less common than the adjective marvellous. In American English, the usual spelling is marvelousness.
Easily confused with marvellousness
Marvellous is the adjective describing something wonderful, whereas marvellousness is the noun naming that quality.
Marvel can be a verb meaning to feel wonder or a noun meaning something astonishing, while marvellousness specifically means the quality of being marvellous.