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Glite Dictionary
to work wonders

to work wonders

22 3.8
To make something much better or more successful
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
: hacer maravillas
  • And I have a new heavy duty makeup that just might work wonders.

I gave it two seasons and it worked wonders for me.

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Examples

  • Just apply it and see how it can work wonders on the skin.

    Blog text (9)

  • You will definitely find that this beneficial approach to parenting will certainly work wonders with your adolescent.

    Blog text (3)

  • Oh, body heat works wonders.

    A Man Called Otto (2022)

  • - A shower always works wonders.

    Sleeping Beauty (2011)

  • Falling in love is gonna work wonders for you.

    Melinda and Melinda (2004)

  • This lotion works wonders for my dry skin.

  • All those #healthycurves lifestyle changes are working wonders for my energy and my body.

    Blog text (27)

  • If you do have the time, though, a pair of natural looking false eyelashes can work wonders for how awake you look.

  • Alternately, a heavy-duty conditioning mask might work wonders when applied liberally after your morning shampoo.

    Blog text (34)

  • A good night’s sleep can work wonders for your overall health.

Synonyms

to work one's magic
vsto work wonders
  • Informal
6.1

To make something much better using skill and new ideas

produces a remarkable beneficial effect without stressing special technique

Antonyms

to fail
∞ 1.0

Not succeed in doing something you wanted to do

to underperform
19 5.3

To do worse than expected or needed

How Effective

to transform
478 3.4
to work wonders
  • Informal
22 3.8
to improve
∞ 1.0
to benefit
654 2.3
help
∞ 1.0

Surface Forms

work wonders infinitive
worked wonders past
worked wonders past participle
working wonders present participle
works wonders third person singular

Morphology

work + wonder

The meaning 'to have a very beneficial or remarkable effect' is directly and compositionally derived from 'work' (to produce an effect) + 'wonders' (marvelous results), so a learner who knows both words can infer the idiom's sense. The pattern is cross-linguistically common (e.g. Spanish hacer maravillas, French faire des merveilles) and follows a standard verb + object composition, supporting immediate comprehension at B1.

Etymology

Work wonders comes from the image of work that creates wonders — small, clear changes that feel like a little miracle. So, it means 'to have a great or surprising effect'.