What does "amaze" mean?
Amazement, astonishment; (countable) an instance of this.
Amaze
/əˈmeɪz/ noun, verb
noun, verb ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Amazement, astonishment; (countable) an instance of this.
- Grammar: amaze is listed as noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: astonish, astound, bewilder, puzzle.
- Useful contrasts: bore, clarify, disappoint.
- Usage evidence: His aristocratic manners amaze me.
How to use "amaze"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "amaze" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "amaze" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "amaze" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "amaze" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "amaze" is acting as noun, verb in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "astonish" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "amaze", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Amazement, astonishment; (countable) an instance of this. archaic, uncountable
"All in amaze he ſuddenly vp ſtart / VVith ſvvord in hand, and vvith the old man vvent; […]"
- 2 Fear, terror. archaic, uncountable
"[T]he whole rout was in amaze; his Lordſhip turned all manner of colours, my Lady fell into a ſwoon; […]"
- 3 Stupefaction of the mind; bewilderment; (countable) an instance of this. obsolete, uncountable
"[T]he panicles or thin skins [of a horse] vvhich cleauing to the bones, doe couer the vvhole braine, are ſubiect to headache, mygram [migrane], dizineſſe, and amazes; […]"
Verb
- 1 To fill (someone) with surprise and wonder; to astonish, to astound, to surprise. transitive
"He was amazed when he found that the girl was a robot."
- 2 be a mystery or bewildering to wordnet
- 3 To stun or stupefy (someone). obsolete, transitive
"Inſtead of thinking hovv to remedy this diſorder by rallying ſuch troops as fled, or by oppoſing freſh troops to ſtop the progreſs of the conquerors, being totally amazed by this firſt blovv, he [Pompey] returned to the camp, and in his tent, vvaited the iſſue of an event, vvhich it vvas his duty to direct, not to follovv: […]"
- 4 affect with wonder wordnet
- 5 To bewilder or perplex (someone or oneself). also, obsolete, reflexive, transitive
"The many musits thought the which he goes / Are like a labyrinth to amaze his foes."
Show 2 more definitions
- 6 To fill (someone) with panic; to panic, to terrify. obsolete, poetic, transitive
"It [fear] amaſeth many men that are to ſpeake, or ſhevv themſelues in publike aſſemblies, or before ſome great personages, […]"
- 7 To experience amazement; to be astounded. archaic, intransitive
"Madam amaze not, ſee his Maieſtie / Returnd vvith glory from the holy land."
Antonyms
Example
"His aristocratic manners amaze me."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "amaze"?
Common synonyms include: astonish, astound, bewilder, puzzle, addle, admiration.
How do you use "amaze" in a sentence?
His aristocratic manners amaze me.
How do you pronounce "amaze"?
Pronounced /əˈmeɪz/.
Etymology
The verb is derived from Middle English *amasen, *amase (“to bewilder, perplex”) (attested chiefly in the past participle form, and thus often difficult to distinguish from amased (adjective)), from Old English āmasian (“to confuse, astonish”), from ā- (perfective prefix) + *masian (“to confound, confuse, perplex; to amaze”) (possibly ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *(s)meh₂- (“to beckon, signal”)). The English word is analysable as a- (intensifying prefix) + maze (“(archaic) to astonish, amaze, bewilder; to daze, stupefy”). The noun is derived from Late Middle English amase, from the verb: see above.