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Glite Dictionary
to work wonders

to work wonders

19 3.8
To make something much better or more successful
  • phrasal verb
  • Informal
translation icon : 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 6.1

To make something much better using skill and new ideas

produces a remarkable beneficial effect without stressing special technique

Antonyms

to fail
898 1.0

Not succeed in doing something you wanted to do

to underperform
20 5.3

To do worse than expected or needed

How Effective

to transform
523 3.4
to work wonders
  • Informal
19 3.8
to improve
∞ 1.0
to benefit
676 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'.