dazzle

[daz-uhl]

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verb (used with object), daz·zled, daz·zling.

to overpower or dim the vision of by intense light: He was dazzled by the sudden sunlight.
to impress deeply; astonish with delight: The glorious palace dazzled him.

verb (used without object), daz·zled, daz·zling.

to shine or reflect brilliantly: gems dazzling in the sunlight.
to be overpowered by light: Her eyes dazzled in the glare.
to excite admiration by brilliance: Once one is accustomed to such splendor, it no longer dazzles.

noun

an act or instance of dazzling: the dazzle of the spotlights.
something that dazzles.

Origin of dazzle

First recorded in 1475–85; daze + -le

Related formsdaz·zler, noundaz·zling·ly, adverbout·daz·zle, verb (used with object), out·daz·zled, out·daz·zling.o·ver·daz·zle, verb, o·ver·daz·zled, o·ver·daz·zling.un·daz·zled, adjectiveun·daz·zling, adjective

Synonyms for dazzle

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2. awe, overwhelm, overpower, stupefy.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for dazzled

blind, fascinate, overwhelm, impress, excite, hypnotize, astonish, daze, blur, surprise, awe, glitz, overpower, bedazzle, stupefy, overawe, razzle-dazzle

Examples from the Web for dazzled

Contemporary Examples of dazzled

The self-styled ‘Art Criminal’ dazzled onlookers and made history when he tightrope walked between the WTC towers 40 years ago.
Philippe Petit’s Moment of Concern Walking the WTC Tightrope
Anthony Haden-Guest
August 8, 2014
Halle Berry won the same award in 2002 for Monster's Ball when she dazzled in a semi-sheer, maroon Elie Saab gown.
Barbara Tfank: The Red Carpet Radical
Erin Cunningham
March 2, 2014
The following looks—everything from eveningwear to denim jeans—dripped and dazzled with embellishment.
Marc Jacobs Leaves Louis Vuitton After 16 Years
Alice Cavanagh
October 2, 2013
Nine years ago he dazzled audiences with his $7,000 time-travel flick ‘Primer.’
‘Upstream Color,’ Shane Carruth’s Sci-Fi Drama, Is the Year’s Craziest Film (So Far)
Marlow Stern
April 6, 2013
It dazzled because it threatened to slip away at any moment.
Jennifer Lopez’s Fashion Blunder at American Music Awards
Robin Givhan
November 21, 2011

Historical Examples of dazzled

I see the vista of my future, and—ah, little book, my eyes are dazzled!
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
But—if indeed, you are dazzled by the glamour of a title—do not be too confident of his fealty.
The Bacillus of Beauty
Harriet Stark
Angelique smiled, as she stood there, dazzled, and as if bathed in the springtide.
The Dream
Emile Zola
The Thorwaldsen Gallery of Copenhagen had ever dazzled his imagination.
In the Heart of Vosges
Matilda Betham-Edwards
It is repeated at every turn until the eyes are dazzled with it, and the head is giddy.
Life And Adventures Of Martin Chuzzlewit
Charles Dickens

British Dictionary definitions for dazzled

dazzle

verb

(usually tr) to blind or be blinded partially and temporarily by sudden excessive light
to amaze, as with brillianceshe was dazzled by his wit; she dazzles in this film

noun

bright light that dazzles
bewilderment caused by glamour, brilliance, etcthe dazzle of fame

Derived Formsdazzler, noun

Word Origin for dazzle

C15: from daze

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for dazzled

dazzle

late 15c., frequentative of Middle English dasen (see daze (v.)). Originally intransitive; the transitive sense is from 1530s. Related: Dazzled; dazzling.