amaze
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to overwhelm with surprise or sudden wonder; astonish greatly.
It will never cease to amaze me how fast children grow.
She was amazed that someone could be serious about something so incredibly absurd.
- Synonyms:
- flabbergast, stun, dumbfound, astound
-
Obsolete. to bewilder; perplex.
verb (used without object)
noun
verb
-
to fill with incredulity or surprise; astonish
-
an obsolete word for bewilder
noun
Synonym Usage
See surprise.
Etymology
Origin of amaze
First recorded before 1000; from Middle English amasen, from Old English āmasian “to confuse, stun, astonish,” equivalent to a- 3, + unattested *masian “to confuse”; cf. maze ( def. )
Explanation
Things that amaze fill you with confusion and mystery — or they just impress you. Either way, amazing things make an impact. There are two main meanings to amaze. The first has to do with causing a feeling of puzzlement or awe. An impressive magician amazes people with tricks. Anything impressive can also amaze. A great basketball player might amaze you with a rim-rattling dunk or by hitting dozens of free throws in a row. Things that amaze also astound, astonish, and impress. Amazing things are also awesome: in the old of sense "causing awe" and the recent sense of "really cool."
Vocabulary lists containing amaze
Mother's Day Words: What Mothers Do
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Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
At Amaze Playz play centre in Cardiff, most parents are just beginning to think about where their young children will go to school.
From BBC • Jun. 27, 2022
The statues, 3D printed using acrylic by Amaze Design, were funded by Lyda Hill Philanthropies.
From Science Magazine • Mar. 23, 2022
Amaze did not immediately respond to Fox News' request for comment.
From Fox News • Feb. 20, 2020
As a celebrated Liberian sound man sits at the mixing board, Amaze and Lady Skeet lean against the foam-covered walls, teaching me Kolokwa words that they believe have emerged only in recent months.
From Washington Post • Mar. 12, 2019
Unfortunate Aurelian, to the Beautiful Leonora—After she was a little recovered from her Amaze, she recollected to her self all the Passages between her and her supposed Cousin, and immediately concluded him to be Aurelian.
From Incognita; or, Love and Duty Reconcil'd by Congreve, William
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
