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. -- 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.