Dictionary

small wonder en · ADV

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, uncountable) No surprise; unsurprising that.
   • I soon discovered that Smith was heels over head in love with Kate Stevens, shot through the heart as Mercutio would say, with a fair girl's blue eye! And small wonder, for Kate was lovely; a little above middle height with slight, rounded figure and most attractive face 1922, Frank Harris, “X”, in My Life and Loves:

Forms

Translations (26)

ja …は少しも不思議ではない (unsurprising occurrence) · eo ne mirinde (unsurprising occurrence) · ru что ... (unsurprising occurrence) · es con razón (unsurprising occurrence) · nl geen wonder (dat ...) (unsurprising occurrence) · nv áyąą (unsurprising occurrence) · pl nie dziwota (unsurprising occurrence) · it non c’è da meravigliarsi (unsurprising occurrence) · cmn 怪不得 (unsurprising occurrence) · cmn 難怪 /难怪 (unsurprising occurrence) · es no es de extrañar (que) (unsurprising occurrence) · es no es sorpresa (unsurprising occurrence) · fi ei mikään ihme (unsurprising occurrence) · yi קיין וווּנדער נישט/ניט (unsurprising occurrence) · fr pas étonnant (que ...) (unsurprising occurrence) · es no sorprende (unsurprising occurrence) · de kein Wunder (unsurprising occurrence) · nv áyaańda (unsurprising occurrence) · nn ikkje så rart (unsurprising occurrence) · pl nic dziwnego (unsurprising occurrence) · ru ничего́ удиви́тельного (unsurprising occurrence) · es de razón (unsurprising occurrence) · fi ei varsinaisesti yllätys (unsurprising occurrence) · nb ikke så rart (unsurprising occurrence) · ru неудиви́тельно (unsurprising occurrence) · gv chan yrrys (unsurprising occurrence)

small wonder en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• (Australia) audio

Meanings

1. (idiomatic, uncountable) An event or fact whose cause or rationale is not difficult to discern; an unsurprising occurrence.
   • Small wonder the average cost of new pools has leaped past $30,000. 2004 August 16, Jeremy Caplan, “What's Cool In the Pool”, in Time:
   • Small wonder that you can't believe my words—you who think yourself sage enough to reject the opinions of your parents and superiors. 1910, Rabindranath Tagore, The King of the Dark Chamber, Scene 1:
   • Small wonder that I am restless. I think, and think, and I cannot cease from thinking. 1908 February 19, Jack London, chapter 1, in The Iron Heel, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., →OCLC:
   • Small wonder if he had loved her for herself, she was so beautiful. 1891, F. Marion Crawford, chapter 24, in The Witch of Prague:
   • In retrospect, it was small wonder that Railtrack found its finances under pressure, as with ever increasing demand there was an inevitable effect on infrastructure renewals. Matters came to a head with the Hatfield accident on October 17 2000, when there was a high-speed derailment as a result of deferred track maintenance. 2024 January 10, 'Industry Insider', “Success built on liberalisation and market freedom”, in RAIL, number 1000, page 69:
   • That she was beautiful and intelligent could not be denied, and so it was small wonder that she might appeal strongly to any man. 1929, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter 2, in Monster Men:

Forms