massage
Americannoun
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the act or art of treating the body by rubbing, kneading, patting, or the like, to stimulate circulation, increase suppleness, relieve tension, etc.
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Slang. attentive or indulgent treatment; pampering.
ego massage.
verb (used with object)
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to treat by massage.
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Slang. to treat with special care and attention; coddle or pamper.
The store massages its regular customers with gifts and private sales.
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Informal.
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to manipulate, maneuver, or handle skillfully.
to massage a bill through the Senate.
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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.
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noun
verb
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to give a massage to
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to treat (stiffness, aches, etc) by a massage
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to manipulate (statistics, data, etc) so that they appear to support a particular interpretation or to be better than they are; doctor
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to boost someone's sense of self-esteem by flattery
Other Word Forms
- massager noun
- massagist noun
Etymology
Origin of massage
1875–80; < French, equivalent to mass ( er ) to massage (< Arabic massa to handle) + -age -age
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.
There is also a home theater, a wet bar, a game room, a gym, a massage room, and a beautifully decorated office with a fireplace.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 30, 2026
The beauty industry is offering up a bevy of solutions, including creams and massage rollers, lubricated silicon masks and even futuristic-looking LED red-light collars.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
Was it better than the reset I get after a massage in the San Gabriel Valley or a hike in the Angeles National Forest?
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 18, 2026
Economists worry that private data providers could drop the data, go out of business or even massage or suspend the data.
From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 4, 2026
Mrs. Rimas tried to feed her and massage circulation into her limbs.
From "Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys
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.
