amaze

1 of 2

verb

ə-ˈmāz How to pronounce amaze (audio)
amazed; amazing; amazes
Synonyms of amaze

transitive verb

1
: to fill with wonder : astound
He amazed audiences with the power of his voice.
2
obsolete : bewilder, perplex

intransitive verb

: to show or cause astonishment
The fireworks display never ceases to amaze.

amaze

2 of 2

noun

archaic
: a feeling of astonishment : amazement
Dick looked at the little man in amaze.—Robert Louis Stevenson
"The diamonds?" asked Lucy, with amaze.—Anthony Trollope

Synonyms of amaze

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Verb

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Choose the Right Synonym for amaze

surprise, astonish, astound, amaze, flabbergast mean to impress forcibly through unexpectedness.

surprise stresses causing an effect through being unexpected but not necessarily unusual or novel.

surprised to find them at home

astonish implies surprising so greatly as to seem incredible.

a discovery that astonished the world

astound stresses the shock of astonishment.

too astounded to respond

amaze suggests an effect of bewilderment.

amazed by the immense size of the place

flabbergast may suggest thorough astonishment and bewilderment or dismay.

flabbergasted by his angry refusal

Examples of amaze in a Sentence

Verb He has amazed audiences around the world with his magic tricks. It amazes me that no one noticed the error. Her garden's beauty never fails to amaze.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
But of the many falsehoods told by them, there was one which quite amazed me. — Agnes Callard, The New York Review of Books, 18 Aug. 2026 His greatness is never in question, but to have the league at a standstill because of a 41-year-old free agent amazes me. — Chris Branch, New York Times, 17 July 2026
Noun
That’s the other amaze-amaze about this movie. — Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 13 Sep. 2025 The dogs at the daycare, which funds independent dog rescue facility Dogs 4 Rescue, 'amaze' the facility's owner daily. — People Staff, Peoplemag, 15 Dec. 2022 See All Example Sentences for amaze

Word History

Etymology

Verb

Middle English amasen, from Old English āmasian, from ā- (perfective prefix) + *masian to confuse — more at abide

Noun

derivative of amaze entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun

1598, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of amaze was before the 12th century

Phrases Containing amaze

Rhymes for amaze

See All Rhymes for amaze

Browse Nearby Words

amaxosa
amaze
amazed
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Amaze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amaze. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

amaze

verb
ə-ˈmāz
amazed; amazing
: to surprise or astonish greatly : fill with wonder
amazingly adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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