verb
-
to stun or stupefy, esp by a blow or shock
-
to bewilder, amaze, or dazzle
noun
Other Word Forms
- dazedly adverb
- undazing adjective
Etymology
Origin of daze
First recorded in 1275–1325; Middle English dasen (verb), from Old Norse dasa- (as in dasask “to become weary”); compare Danish dase “to doze, mope”
Explanation
A daze is a type of confusion, when you have a lack of clarity. When you first wake up, you might be in a bit of a daze, shuffling about the house before your brain really starts working. Daze can also mean the feeling of distress and disbelief that you have when something bad happens to you accidentally: "After getting hit in the head by a football, you were in such a daze you couldn't remember where you were." As a verb, daze means to stun. You will definitely daze your father when you tell him that you eloped.
Vocabulary lists containing daze
Charlotte's Web
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Where the Red Fern Grows
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The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind
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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.
"In the initial phase, CENTCOM's focus was systematic targeting of Iranians' command-and-control infrastructure, naval forces, ballistic missile sites and intelligence infrastructure, designed to daze and confuse them," he said.
From Barron's • Mar. 2, 2026
I drove through the neighborhoods in a daze, bewildered by what I saw.
From Los Angeles Times • Jan. 7, 2026
Within a few minutes, the caffeinated mayor and his entourage were off to their next stop, leaving the couple in a happy daze.
From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 2, 2025
"It doesn't feel real, it's still like we're in a daze," she said.
From BBC • Sep. 26, 2025
Lady Constance watched in a daze as her husband speared another drumstick from the platter.
From "The Unseen Guest" by Maryrose Wood
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.
