massage
Americannoun
-
massages
plural
-
the act or art of treating the body by rubbing, kneading, patting, or the like, to stimulate circulation, increase suppleness, relieve tension, etc.
-
Slang. attentive or indulgent treatment; pampering.
ego massage.
verb (used with object)
-
massages,
present (3rd person singular)
-
massaged,
past participle, past
-
massaging
present participle
-
to treat by massage.
-
Slang. to treat with special care and attention; coddle or pamper.
The store massages its regular customers with gifts and private sales.
-
Informal.
-
to manipulate, maneuver, or handle skillfully.
to massage a bill through the Senate.
-
to manipulate, organize, or rearrange (data, figures, or the like) to produce a specific result, especially a favorable one.
The auditors discovered that the company had massaged the books.
-
noun
verb
-
to give a massage to
-
to treat (stiffness, aches, etc) by a massage
-
to manipulate (statistics, data, etc) so that they appear to support a particular interpretation or to be better than they are; doctor
-
to boost someone's sense of self-esteem by flattery
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
massagesimple
-
massagessimple
-
have massagedperfect
-
has massagedperfect
-
am massagingprogressive
-
are massagingprogressive
-
is massagingprogressive
-
have been massagingperfect progressive
-
has been massagingperfect progressive
Past
-
massagedsimple
-
had massagedperfect
-
was massagingprogressive
-
were massagingprogressive
-
had been massagingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of massage
1875–80; < French, equivalent to mass ( er ) to massage (< Arabic massa to handle) + -age -age
Explanation
When someone rubs your muscles to help relax them, that's a massage. Feels good, doesn't it? When someone tells you how great you are to gain favor, they massage your ego. Not bad, either. The word massage has a mysterious background, possibly coming from the Arabic massa, meaning "to touch," finding its way to 19th Century France by way of Napoleon. Would you accept a foot massage from Napoleon? Or, it might have worked its way to France from India, where amassar carries the meaning "knead." The year 1913 saw the first massage parlor, which was really a brothel. Today massage is a recognized form of physical therapy and is, of course, practiced by amateurs too. A little to the left, please.
Vocabulary lists containing massage
Brown Girl Dreaming
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
English Words Derived from French, List 5
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Towers Falling
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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:
But although athletes feel less sore and perceptions of recovery are improved after a massage, objective measures of performance and muscle function are modest and inconsistent.
From Science Daily ● Oct. 14, 2026
“The primary suite is a private retreat featuring a fireplace, secluded deck, dual spa-inspired baths, individual walk-in closets, a Sitting Room, and dedicated massage and salon rooms,” the listing adds.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 5, 2026
Abbey, who has endometriosis which she says causes her to feel bloated, began doing her own massage routines twice a week aer seeing social media posts about lymphatic drainage.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
And even the go-for-broke performance of Mr. Ribisi, with its barely contained insanity, requires something to massage our sympathies.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 17, 2026
Grandma took a seat on the shelf where they had administered the massage, and Kendra waited beside her.
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
When I wasn’t getting massages or attending fitness classes included in my program, I joined free paddleboard sessions and evening movie screenings.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 2, 2026
If she's ever feeling bloated, Abbey Alexandra has a go-to routine, using body oil and a wooden roller to perform stomach massages.
From BBC ● Oct. 1, 2026
The apothecary hosts meditations, sound baths, tarot card readings and massages there to help bring the mind and body into balance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
The spa doesn’t offer foot massages, but there’s a 30-foot-long “jade stone walk,” with half-dome pebbles imported from Korea, on it.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2026
I slip one hand inside on the right, and just like the weighted blanket, warm water massages my hands, followed by warm air.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
Yevgeny Prigozhin massaged his son’s public persona to better suit a future mercenary boss.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
The filler is then massaged to give an even look, which the patient continues as home.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Petty crimes dropped, as did homicides, according to official data, though some disputed the data as possibly massaged to benefit authorities.
From Barron's ● May 10, 2026
My go-tos are peppery arugula, baby spinach, bitter-but-beautiful radicchio, a good massaged kale or thin ribbons of collard greens.
From Salon ● Dec. 16, 2025
Grandpop put his hands together, squeezed and massaged his fingers.
From "As Brave As You" by Jason Reynolds
It may well be that “High Value Target” is compressing its timeline and massaging Nixon’s contributions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
"This is the Zygopush," Marvin tells me, while pressing his thumbs directly under his cheekbones and massaging upwards towards his ears in an attempt to hollow out his cheeks.
From BBC ● Mar. 14, 2026
But whatever massaging has been applied, “All the Sharks” is real enough.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 3, 2025
When you’re wringing billions of dollars in profits out of the sickly, you’ve got to put some money into massaging public opinion.
From Slate ● Mar. 3, 2025
Faith just smiled and thanked me for keeping her calm, then started massaging her neck and rolling her shoulders around, trying to work out the kinks.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
