Marvelling

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To feel a profound sense of wonder or admiration when encountering something remarkable or impressive
2. To be struck with awe and admiration in reaction to an extraordinary event or object
3. Experiencing a strong feeling of surprise and admiration towards something extraordinary

Etymology: "Marvelling" is the British spelling of "marveling," the present participle and gerund of "marvel," and it arrived in English through Middle English. The verb "marvel" itself came into the language from Old French "merveille," which in turn descends from Latin "mirabilia," the plural of "mirabile," meaning "wonderful" or "to be wondered at." The word's core sense of astonishment has stayed intact across centuries of use. The "-ing" ending is the ordinary English suffix that turns a verb into a continuous form, so "marvelling" simply means "in the act of marvelling." The spelling difference between the two varieties comes down to how English handles doubled consonants before a suffix: British English doubles the final "l" in "marvel" before "-ing," while American English keeps it single.

Synonyms: wondering, admiring, astonishing, aweing, stunning