Marvelous \Mar"vel*ous\, a. [OE. merveillous, OF. merveillos, F. Merveilleux. See Marvel, n.]

[Written also marvellous.]

1. Exciting wonder or surprise; astonishing; wonderful.

This is the Lord's doing; it is marvelous in our eyes. --Ps. cxiii. 23.

2. Partaking of the character of miracle, or supernatural power; incredible.

The marvelous fable includes whatever is supernatural, and especially the machines of the gods. --Pope.

The marvelous, that which exceeds natural power, or is preternatural; that which is wonderful; -- opposed to the probable.

Syn: Wonderful; astonishing; surprising; strange; improbable; incredible.

Usage: Marvelous, Wonderful. We speak of a thing as wonderful when it awakens our surprise and admiration; as marvelous when it is so much out of the ordinary course of things as to seem nearly or quite incredible.

Source: Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913)