Skip to main content
eighth wonder of the world

eighth wonder of the world

1 5.4
Something very impressive that people compare to the ancient wonders
  • noun
  • Informal
translation icon : octava maravilla del mundo
  • Architects often say that the ancient pyramids of Egypt are the eighth wonder of the world for their remarkable construction.
  • called the eighth wonder of the world

And it's often said that compounding is the eighth wonder of the world in financial terms.

Autoplay Next

Examples

  • Welcome to the Taj Mahal, eighth wonder of the world.

  • The engineering behind the Burj Khalifa has led some to label it as the eighth wonder of the world.

  • Ladies, what you are about to see... is the eighth wonder of the world.

  • It's the eighth wonder of the world.

  • And it's often said that compounding is the eighth wonder of the world in financial terms.

  • Hey, Whitey, do you know what the eighth wonder of the world is?

  • Ladies and gentlemen, would you please welcome... the eighth wonder of the world, Jerry Springer!

  • Albert Einstein once called compound interest the eighth wonder of the world, adding he who understands it earns it, he who doesn't pays it.

  • Many people believe that the Great Barrier Reef is the eighth wonder of the world due to its stunning beauty and biodiversity.

Synonyms

wonder
vseighth wonder of the world
331 1.0

A place or thing that is very surprising and beautiful

is used for things judged far more extraordinary and monumental in scale

How Impressive

eighth wonder of the world
  • Informal
1 5.4
marvel
122 4.1
wonder
331 1.0
curiosity
27 5.0
attraction
141 2.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

8th + wonder + of + the + world

Each element contributes transparently: 'eighth' (an ordinal position) + 'wonder' (a remarkable, awe‑inspiring thing) + 'of the world' (global comparison) together signal something regarded as exceptionally impressive. This is a direct, compositional metaphor found cross‑linguistically rather than an idiomatic shift, so a B1 learner who knows the constituent words can readily infer the meaning.

Etymology

Eighth wonder of the world comes from the famous list of seven ancient wonders; people imagined adding one more, the 'eighth', to show something extra special. So, when people call something the eighth wonder of the world, they mean it is 'something very impressive'.