mirari

Mirari is a Latin deponent verb meaning to marvel at, to wonder at, or to admire. Its principal parts are miror, mirari, miratus sum. As a deponent, it is passive in form but active in meaning, and it belongs to the first conjugation. The present system uses forms such as miror, mirāris, mirātur, mirāmur, mirāminī, mirantur; the infinitive is mirārī, and the participle is mirātus sum. Its tenses are formed with the expected passive endings, but the sense remains active.

In usage, mirari is typically transitive, taking a direct object in the accusative to express admiration or astonishment toward a person or thing, for example miror aliquem or miror aliquid. It can also convey the sense of being astonished by a circumstance or event. In classical Latin, the verb appears in literary and rhetorical contexts and may occur with accompanying clauses or phrases that specify the matter of marveling.

Etymology and related forms: mirari derives from a root related to mirus, meaning wonderful or extraordinary. It is closely related in sense to admīrārī (to admire), another deponent verb, though admīrārī is a distinct lexical item with its own usage patterns. The verb appears across Latin authors from the Republic to the Imperial period, where it contributes to expressions of awe, surprise, or approbation.

Notes: As a deponent, mirari uses passive morphology for all tenses, with the meaning carried actively. Its flexibility in tone—ranging from philosophical astonishment to affectionate admiration—makes it a common verb in descriptive and narrative passages.