amaze
Americanverb (used with object)
-
amazes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
amazed,
past participle, past
-
amazing
present participle
-
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)
-
amazes,
present (3rd person singular)
-
amazed,
past participle, past
-
amazing
present participle
noun
verb
-
to fill with incredulity or surprise; astonish
-
an obsolete word for bewilder
noun
Synonym Usage
See surprise.
Other Word Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
amazesimple
-
amazessimple
-
have amazedperfect
-
has amazedperfect
-
am amazingprogressive
-
are amazingprogressive
-
is amazingprogressive
-
have been amazingperfect progressive
-
has been amazingperfect progressive
Past
-
amazedsimple
-
had amazedperfect
-
was amazingprogressive
-
were amazingprogressive
-
had been amazingperfect progressive
Future
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
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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.
See Examples For:
“I believe that stories have an important role to play in the formation of human beings,” Miyazaki once said, “that they can stimulate, amaze and inspire their listeners.”
From Salon ● Jul. 8, 2026
Similarly, the audience is left to wonder why this career coder has driving skills that would amaze James Bond.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 9, 2025
Sometimes people think, “Oh, it must be easy to amaze kids.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2025
He won't amaze a single soul with his technical excellence.
From BBC ● Mar. 20, 2025
My mom could make cream puffs and it would amaze everybody.
From "Everything Sad Is Untrue" by Daniel Nayeri
It always amazes me how they have the strength to go on to campaign, raise money, change laws and save lives.
From BBC ● Oct. 17, 2026
"It amazes me that similar parenting behaviors have evolved so many times in so many distinct animal lineages," says Kay.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 1, 2026
What amazes Downing more, however, is his offensive acumen.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Feb. 4, 2026
“What always amazes me about this community is despite … the many, many times we have faced adversity, it’s the resilience of this group of amazing people,” she said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 19, 2024
But there’s something about seeing it in person—the way the arches soar, how the reddish orange contrasts against the blue of the sky and the blue of the ocean— that amazes me.
From "The Wrong Way Home" by Kate O’Shaughnessy
Genna Contino is planning her wedding, and has been amazed at how expensive certain items can be, such as a dress she “fell in love with.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
As the skipper of the 40-foot sloop First Light, Ms. Brauer had at her fingertips resources that would have amazed the salts of yore.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 24, 2026
“But I’m amazed at the different types of people that show up regardless.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 3, 2026
"I was just amazed at how my father-in-law's house was still standing," he said, mystified.
From BBC ● Aug. 20, 2026
“A bit, yes. She’s usually busy prognosticating all over the neighborhood. You’d be amazed what people will pay for a glimpse of the Great Unknown.”
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
"It's just amazing how much we still have to learn about them."
From Science Daily ● Oct. 16, 2026
“It was pretty amazing, considering I’d been over three years at that point on the other protocol and had never gotten there,” said Moore, a Whately, Mass., small-business owner.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 15, 2026
Dolly and Whitney have their own amazing versions of it that no one can ever replace.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 15, 2026
“This amazing investment is being ignored because it’s so out of favor and because the stock market is so popular,” he said.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
“You’ve done an amazing job in here, Zara.”
From "Red Flags and Butterflies" by Sheryl Azzam
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
