amaze

[ uh-meyz ]

verb (used with object)

, a·mazed, a·maz·ing.

1. to overwhelm with surprise or sudden wonder; astonish greatly:

   It will never cease to amaze me how fast children grow.

   She was amazed that someone could be serious about something so incredibly absurd.

   Synonyms: flabbergast, stun, dumbfound, astound

2. Obsolete. to bewilder; perplex.

verb (used without object)

, a·mazed, a·maz·ing.

1. to cause amazement:

   The museum has a new art show that delights and amazes.

noun

1. Archaic. amazement.

amaze

/ əˈmeɪz /

verb

1. to fill with incredulity or surprise; astonish
2. an obsolete word for bewilder

noun

1. an archaic word for amazement

Word History and Origins

Origin of amaze¹

First recorded before 1000; from Middle English amasen, from Old English āmasian “to confuse, stun, astonish,” equivalent to a- ³, + unattested *masian “to confuse”; maze ( def )

Word History and Origins

Origin of amaze¹

Old English āmasian

Synonym Study

See surprise.

Example Sentences

"She had this amazing gift of becoming friends very, very fast with people. And they all fell in love with her," she said.

From BBC

“It’s amazing,” said Tae, who scored 24 points and had eight dunks in a win over Oak Park.

From Los Angeles Times

Chastain had her moment, then so did Kelly – and now former Chelsea coach Hayes says her current US team have "an amazing opportunity" to create their own legacy.

From BBC

“So why — when you have this amazing megaphone and this amazing ability to communicate — why would you cheapen your show by saying things like that?”

From Los Angeles Times

“It’s amazing what you can do with a straw,” says Jonathan Bailey via email.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• affect
• alarm
• astonish
• astound
• bewilder
• daze
• dumbfound
• flabbergast
• impress
• perplex
• shock
• stagger
• startle
• stun