What does "maze" mean?
A labyrinth; a puzzle consisting of a complicated network of paths or passages, the aim of which is to find one's way through.
Maze
name, noun, verb
name, noun, verb ·1 syllable ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A labyrinth; a puzzle consisting of a complicated network of paths or passages, the aim of which is to find one's way through.
- Grammar: maze is listed as name, noun, verb.
- Nearest alternatives: labyrinth, tangle, addle, addle the wits.
- Useful contrasts: clarify, clear, clear route.
- Usage evidence: I finally found my way out of the confusing maze.
How to use "maze"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "maze" 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 "maze" 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 "maze" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "maze" 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 "maze" is acting as name, 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 "labyrinth" 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 "maze", 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 A labyrinth; a puzzle consisting of a complicated network of paths or passages, the aim of which is to find one's way through.
"There's plenty for toddlers too: experience the Wild West in Bear City, play with sand diggers, splash in the paddling pool and discover meerkats, reptiles and alpacas in the Zoo-Farm. Rain doesn't stop play, just head for the indoor fun factory with a rocking and rolling tugboat, mirror maze, ferris wheel and soft play."
- 2 complex system of paths or tunnels in which it is easy to get lost wordnet
- 3 Something made up of many confused or conflicting elements; a tangle.
"A beech wood with silver firs in it rolled down the face of the hill, and the maze of leafless twigs and dusky spires cut sharp against the soft blueness of the evening sky."
- 4 something jumbled or confused wordnet
- 5 Confusion of thought; state of bewilderment. archaic
"But first they came to Canterbury, an olde Citie, somewhat decayed, yet beautiful to behold, most famous for a Cathedrall Church, the very Maiestie whereoff, stroke them into a maze, where they saw many monuments, and heard tell of greater, then either they euer saw, or easely would beleeue."
Verb
- 1 To amaze, astonish, bewilder. archaic, transitive
"they so mazed and even stupified his Conscience"
- 2 To daze or stupefy. archaic, transitive
"mazed […] by the eyes of the crowd"
Proper Noun
- 1 A surname.
- 2 A former prison in Northern Ireland; in full, HM Prison Maze.
- 3 A townland in County Down, Northern Ireland, the site of the former prison (Irish grid ref J 2261).
- 4 An unincorporated community in Delaware Township, Juniata County, Pennsylvania, United States.
Example
"I finally found my way out of the confusing maze."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "maze"?
Common synonyms include: labyrinth, tangle, addle, addle the wits, amaze, baffle.
How do you use "maze" in a sentence?
I finally found my way out of the confusing maze.
Etymology
Etymology 1
From Middle English mase, from Middle English masen (“to perplex, bewilder”); or perhaps from Old English *mæs (“delusion, bewilderment”); akin to Old English āmasian (“to perplex, confound”), Icelandic masa (“to chatter”). More at amaze.
Etymology 2
* As an English surname, variant of Mays. * As an English and Irish surname, variant of Maye, from Irish Ó Miadhaigh (“descendant of Miadhach”), see miadh (“esteem, respect”). Compare May. * As a Breton surname Mazé, shortened from Mazéo, Breton form of Matthew. * As a French surname Mazé, from a place in Maine-et-Loire, from Latin Masiacum (“estate of Masius”). * Also as a French surname, shortened pet form of Thomas. * Also as a French surname, variant of Mas, from the noun mas (“farmhouse”). * As a Slovene surname, shortened from Tomaž, a form of Thomas. Or, from the verb mazati (“to grease”). * As an Ashkenazic Jewish surname, from Hebrew מאז״ה (Mazeh), an acronym of מִזֶּרַע אַהֲרֹן הַכֹּהֵן (mi-zéra' Aharón ha-Kohén, “from the seed of Aaron the priest”), compare Cohen.