meravigliato

Meravigliato is an Italian word that serves as the past participle of the verb meravigliare (to astonish) and as an adjective meaning “amazed” or “astonished.” It describes a state of wonder provoked by something and can refer to a person or a situation.

Etymology: the term derives from meravigliare, with the noun meraviglia meaning “wonder” or “marvel.” The root traces back to Latin mirabilia and mirari, meaning to marvel. The suffix -ato marks the form as a past participle.

Forms and grammar: as an adjective, meravigliato agrees in gender and number with the noun it modifies (masculine singular meravigliato, feminine singular meravigliata, masculine plural meravigliati, feminine plural meravigliate). As a past participle, it typically appears in compound tenses with avere when used transitively (ho meravigliato qualcuno), while it can function as a predicate adjective with essere in intransitive constructions (è rimasto meravigliato).

Usage: meravigliato is common in both spoken and literary Italian. It is often used with da to indicate the source of astonishment (era meravigliato da ciò che vedeva). Examples include: “Era meravigliato dal paesaggio” and “Sono rimasto meravigliato da questa notizia.” It conveys a sense of awe rather than simple surprise and is distinct from meraviglioso (wonderful) and meraviglia (wonder, marvel).

See also: meraviglia, meraviglioso, meravigliarsi.