marvelling

Marvelling is the act of experiencing or expressing intense admiration or astonishment at something. To marvel is to be filled with wonder or to regard something as remarkable. The present participle marvelling describes an ongoing experience of wonder, as in, I was marvelling at the northern lights.

Etymology and variant spellings: The verb derives from Old French merveiller, from merveielle meaning “wonder, marvel,” related to Latin mirabilis meaning “worthy of admiration.” The related noun marvel shares the same origin. In British English, marvelling and the corresponding adjective marvellous are standard; American English tends to spell the verb as marveling and the adjective as marvelous.

Usage: Marvelling tends to be more formal or literary than everyday speech. It is commonly used with prepositions such as at or that: marvelling at the complexity of a system, or marvelling that such a small device could function. It can be transitive (“I marveled at his skill”) or intransitive (“We stood marvelling”). The word often appears in descriptive, travel, literary, or science-writing contexts where the emphasis is on awe or admiration.

See also: Marvel, wonder, awe. Marvelling is a stylistic choice that signals a deliberate or heightened sense of astonishment, and is frequently encountered in British English, literature, and formal or reflective prose.