massage

American  

[muh-sahzh, -sahj, mas-ahzh] / məˈsɑʒ, -ˈsɑdʒ, ˈmæs ɑʒ /

noun

1. the act or art of treating the body by rubbing, kneading, patting, or the like, to stimulate circulation, increase suppleness, relieve tension, etc.

2. Slang. attentive or indulgent treatment; pampering.

   ego massage.

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verb (used with object)

massaged, massaging

1. to treat by massage.

2. Slang. to treat with special care and attention; coddle or pamper.

   The store massages its regular customers with gifts and private sales.

3. Informal.

   1. to manipulate, maneuver, or handle skillfully.

      to massage a bill through the Senate.

   2. 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.

massage British  

/ -sɑːdʒ, ˈmæsɑːʒ /

noun

1. the act of kneading, rubbing, etc, parts of the body to promote circulation, suppleness, or relaxation

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verb

1. to give a massage to

2. to treat (stiffness, aches, etc) by a massage

3. to manipulate (statistics, data, etc) so that they appear to support a particular interpretation or to be better than they are; doctor

4. 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

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.

Example Sentences

At the Kino Sports Complex, Iranian players will have access to the club's weight training facilities, ice baths, and massage tables.

From Barron's • May 13, 2026

Over the past year Airbnb has overhauled its app and tried to offer more services to complement travelers’ vacations, such as paid photographers and massage appointments.

From MarketWatch • May 7, 2026

Japanese use handheld massage rollers to reduce overnight facial swelling.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 7, 2026

“But this is not a massage, this is not a head wash, it is actually a scalp treatment,” Jung says.

From Los Angeles Times • May 5, 2026

First Turkey raised a wing to massage her head.

From "Healer of the Water Monster" by Brian Young

Related Words

• caress
• pat
• rub