Ways to say it
| Italian | IPA | Note |
|---|---|---|
| meraviglioso | /me.ra.viʎˈʎo.zo/ /me.ra.viʎˈʎo.so/ |
masculine |
| eccellente | /et.t͡ʃelˈlɛn.te/ | |
| impressionante | /im.pres.sjoˈnan.te/ | |
| ottimo | /ˈɔt.ti.mo/ | |
| favoloso | /fa.voˈlo.zo/ /fa.voˈlo.so/ |
|
| stupendo | /stuˈpɛn.do/ | masculine |
| fantastico | /fanˈtas.ti.ko/ | masculine |
These words are used to describe things that are excellent or extremely impressive. While most of these terms describe high quality or beauty, they carry different nuances of awe, scale or performance.
Which one should you use?
While meraviglioso implies a sense of beauty and wonder, impressionante is often used for something that is striking, overwhelming or even slightly intimidating in its scale or impact. Additionally, ottimo is used more frequently to describe quality or performance, as it is the superlative form of 'good', whereas meraviglioso carries a stronger sense of enchantment. Other options include stupendo, fantastico, eccellente and favoloso to convey being wonderful or fantastic.
How does it change in a sentence?
The word meraviglioso changes its ending based on the gender and number of the noun it describes: use meravigliosa for feminine singular, meravigliosi for masculine plural and meravigliose for feminine plural.
How do you pronounce it?
The word meraviglioso is pronounced /me.ra.viʎˈʎo.zo/ and has 5 syllables, with the stress on the 4th syllable.
Did you know?
- The word favoloso literally translates to 'fable-like'. Using it to mean wonderful implies that the thing being described is so great it belongs in a fairy tale.
- The word stupendo shares its roots with the English word 'stupefy', both originating from the Latin verb 'stupēre', which means to be struck senseless or paralyzed by amazement.
- In Italy, the word ottimo is not just a synonym for wonderful but is the grammatical 'absolute superlative' of buono. It is the highest possible tier of 'good' that the language allows.
Examples in context
- Il cibo è meraviglioso.The food is wonderful.This sentence uses meraviglioso to describe the quality of food.Tatoeba #11093622 by Guybrush88, translation #6440337 by CK
- È un dono meraviglioso.It's a wonderful gift.This sentence uses meraviglioso to describe a gift.Tatoeba #13447689 by Nuel, translation #13447688 by Nuel
- È un forum meraviglioso.That's a wonderful forum.This sentence uses meraviglioso to describe a forum.Tatoeba #4268825 by Guybrush88, translation #2889390 by AlanF_US
- Il tuo discorso è stato magnifico.Your speech was magnificent.
- La vista sul mare è meravigliosa.The sea view is marvelous.
- L'opera a cui ho assistito è stata eccezionale.The opera I attended was exceptional.
- La performance del pianista è stata stupenda.The pianist's performance was stupendous.
- Hai vinto la partita, sei fantastico!You won the game, you're fantastic!
- La torta che hai fatto è splendida!The cake you made is splendid!
- Quello spettacolo è stato stupendente!That show was astonishing!
- Hai visto la vista dalla cima della montagna? È incredibile!Have you seen the view from the top of the mountain? It's incredible!
- 70 more sentences on Tatoeba
Example conversation
Chiara and Francesco are looking at a beautiful view from a balcony.
- ChiaraChe panorama meraviglioso!What a wonderful view!
- FrancescoHai ragione, è incredibile.You are right, it is incredible.
- ChiaraFrancesco, guarda quel tramonto.Francesco, look at that sunset.
- FrancescoSì, è davvero un momento meraviglioso.Yes, it is truly a wonderful moment.
Sources
- Wiktionary, “wonderful” translations and entries meraviglioso, eccellente, impressionante, ottimo, favoloso, stupendo, fantastico, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries eccellente, fantastico, meraviglioso, stupendo, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
