massage
Americannoun
-
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)
-
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:
Inside this claustrophobic wooden beast, Odysseus and his wild and bloodthirsty Greeks are crammed cheek-to-sandal so tightly that you can’t imagine how they’ll spring into action without first getting a massage.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 15, 2026
After breaking back into the top 200 earlier this month, Swan received a wildcard for Wimbledon - a moment that left her crying on a massage table as she received treatment.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Schools that educate ministers, barbers, massage therapists, and cosmetologists could be especially hard hit.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 29, 2026
My seasonal body treatment included exfoliation, massage and aromatherapy, making it one of the most relaxing experiences of the trip.
From Salon ● Jun. 11, 2026
What I love best: the lotus-pod shower, where heavy drops will massage my scalp as if I were standing in a monsoon.
From "Inside Out and Back Again" by Thanhha Lai
About 30% of that total comes from add-on services such as massages and personal training sessions.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 30, 2026
However, in February whistleblowing retired civil servants told the BBC that Mountbatten-Windsor charged taxpayers for excessive travel costs and massages while working in the UK trade envoy role.
From BBC ● May 21, 2026
This year, attendees can sign up for free massages, red light therapy sessions, lymphatic drainage boots, and—thanks in part to a partnership with LEGO—partake in a series of analog “adult play” installations.
From Slate ● May 8, 2026
Guests can book robot massages for 15 minutes, 30 minutes, 45 minutes or an hour for $1 a minute, making it more affordable than Wi Spa’s manual massage offerings.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 5, 2026
I had been advised to have massages, but I never liked them: I hate to be touched by mercenary hands.
From "The House of the Spirits: A Novel" by Isabel Allende
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
The goal is capital gain, and there’s nothing and no one that can’t be quite literally massaged in the pursuit of that target.
From Salon ● Mar. 1, 2026
A soft hand takes the place of the towels at my feet and calves while warm oils are simultaneously dripped onto my hair and massaged into my scalp.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 20, 2025
It was clear during the restart of his match that Shelton was not able to produce his usual high-powered serves — even before his left shoulder was massaged by a trainer.
From Seattle Times ● Jun. 1, 2024
Then, from the big Vaseline jar, he took a handful and massaged it hard all through my hair and into the scalp.
From "The Autobiography of Malcolm X" by Alex Malcolm X;Hailey
Sound possesses power, whether you’ll be weary from dancing or blissed out from the frequencies massaging your nerves.
From Salon ● Jun. 5, 2026
Chen began by massaging my scalp for about 10 minutes, as I tried not to fall asleep.
From Los Angeles Times ● Apr. 6, 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
While Cyndee is massaging her sore feet on a bench, Bert strikes up a casual conversation with a young woman the next bench over.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 19, 2025
Ray stands on the bed behind him, his little hands massaging Pop’s head.
From "Towers Falling" by Jewell Parker Rhodes
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.
