What's the difference between
and
Enter two words to compare and contrast their definitions, origins, and synonyms to better understand how those words are related.

Wonder vs Expect - What's the difference?

wonder | expect |

As a noun wonder

is one of the.

As a verb expect is

to look for (mentally); to look forward to, as to something that is believed to be about to happen or come; to have a previous apprehension of, whether of good or evil; to look for with some confidence; to anticipate; -- often followed by an infinitive, sometimes by a clause (with, or without, that).

wonder

English

Noun

(en noun)
  • Something that causes amazement or awe; a marvel.
  • * , chapter=8
  • , title= Mr. Pratt's Patients , passage=That concertina was a wonder in its way. The handles that was on it first was wore out long ago, and he'd made new ones of braided rope yarn. And the bellows was patched in more places than a cranberry picker's overalls.}}
  • Something astonishing and seemingly inexplicable.
  • Someone very talented at something, a genius.
  • The sense or emotion which can be inspired by something curious or unknown; surprise; astonishment.
  • * (Plato), Theætetus (section 155d)
  • Socrates: I see, my dear Theaetetus, that Theodorus had a true insight into your nature when he said that you were a philosopher, for wonder' is the feeling of a philosopher, and philosophy begins in ' wonder . He was not a bad genealogist who said that Iris (the messenger of heaven) is the child of Thaumas (wonder).
  • * Bible, (w) iii. 10
  • They were filled with wonder and amazement at that which had happened unto him.
  • * 1781 , (Samuel Johnson), The Lives of the Most Eminent English Poets
  • All wonder is the effect of novelty upon ignorance.
  • (UK, informal) A mental pondering, a thought.
  • * 1934 , Katharine Tynan, The house of dreams
  • Miss Paynter had a little wonder as to whether the man, as she called Mr. Lacy in her own mind, had ever been admitted to this room. She thought not.

    Derived terms

    * bewonder * boy wonder * girl wonder * gutless wonder * little wonder * nine day wonder * no wonder * one hit wonder * * small wonder * Wonder Woman * wonderberry * wonderboy * wonderbra * wonderchild * wonderdrug * wonderful * wonderland * wonderment * wondrous, wonderous * wonderworker * work wonders

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To be affected with surprise or admiration; to be struck with astonishment; to be amazed; to marvel.
  • * (Jonathan Swift), (w, Gulliver's Travels)
  • I could not sufficiently wonder at the intrepidity of these diminutive mortals.
  • * Johnson
  • We cease to wonder at what we understand.
  • *
  • , title=(The Celebrity), chapter=4 , passage=The Celebrity, by arts unknown, induced Mrs. Judge Short and two other ladies to call at Mohair on an afternoon when Mr. Cooke was trying a trotter on the track. The three returned wondering and charmed with Mrs. Cooke; they were sure she had had no hand in the furnishing of that atrocious house.}}
  • To ponder; to feel doubt and curiosity; to wait with uncertain expectation; to query in the mind.
  • * (William Shakespeare)
  • I wonder , in my soul, / What you would ask me, that I should deny.

    Derived terms

    * wonderer

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * 1000 English basic words ----

    expect

    English

    (Webster 1913)

    Verb

    (en verb)
  • To look for (mentally); to look forward to, as to something that is believed to be about to happen or come; to have a previous apprehension of, whether of good or evil; to look for with some confidence; to anticipate; -- often followed by an infinitive, sometimes by a clause (with, or without, that).
  • *, chapter=13
  • , title= The Mirror and the Lamp , passage=“[…] They talk of you as if you were Croesus—and I expect the beggars sponge on you unconscionably.” And Vickers launched forth into a tirade very different from his platform utterances. He spoke with extreme contempt of the dense stupidity exhibited on all occasions by the working classes.}}
  • To consider obligatory or required.
  • To consider reasonably due.
  • To be pregnant, to consider a baby due.
  • (obsolete) To wait for; to await.
  • * (rfdate) (William Shakespeare) (c.1564–1616):
  • Let's in, and there expect their coming.
  • *1825 , (Walter Scott), , A. and C. Black (1868), 24-25:
  • The knight fixed his eyes on the opening with breathless anxiety, and continuing to kneel in the attitude of devotion which the place and scene required, expected the consequence of these preparations.
  • (obsolete) To wait; to stay.
  • (Sandys)

    Usage notes

    * Expect'' is a mental act and has always a reference to the future, to some coming event; as a person expects to die, or he expects to survive. ''Think]]'' and ''believe'' have reference to the past and present, as well as to the future; as I think the mail has arrived; I believe he came home yesterday, that he is he is at home now. There is a not uncommon use of ''expect'', which is a confusion of the two; as, I expect the mail has arrived; I expect he is at home. This misuse should be avoided. ''[[await, Await'' is a physical or moral act. We await that which, when it comes, will affect us personally. We expect what may, or may not, interest us personally. See ''anticipate . * This is a catenative verb that takes the to infinitive . See

    Synonyms

    * anticipate * look for * await * hope

    Derived terms

    * expected adjective * expecting adjective * unexpected

    Statistics

    *

    Anagrams

    * except 1000 English basic words