Dictionary / amaze
amaze
- verb
- noun
- from Old English
To fill (someone) with surprise and wonder; to astonish, to astound, to surprise.
1 All current definitions
Every sense of “amaze” in current use, as recorded by Wiktionary. Older and obsolete senses are kept separately.
verb
- transitiveTo fill (someone) with surprise and wonder; to astonish, to astound, to surprise.
He was amazed when he found that the girl was a robot.
Older & obsolete senses (4)
- obsoletetransitiveTo stun or stupefy (someone).
- alsoobsoletereflexivetransitiveTo bewilder or perplex (someone or oneself).
- obsoletepoetictransitiveTo fill (someone) with panic; to panic, to terrify.
- archaicintransitiveTo experience amazement; to be astounded.
noun
No current senses for this part of speech — see older senses.
Older & obsolete senses (3)
- archaicuncountableAmazement, astonishment; (countable) an instance of this.
- archaicuncountableFear, terror.
- obsoleteuncountableStupefaction of the mind; bewilderment; (countable) an instance of this.
Cross-check: WordNet senses (2)
- verbaffect with wonder — also: astonish, astound
- verbbe a mystery or bewildering to — also: perplex, vex, stick, get, puzzle
Synonyms: amaze, astonish, astound, bewitch, surprise, wow
2 History of the word
The etymology, the path the word travelled, and the words built from it.
The word’s journey, newest to oldest:
- English (today)amaze
- Middle English*amasen
- Middle Englishamased (adjective)
- Old Englishāmasian “to confuse, astonish”
- Old Englishā- (perfective prefix) + *masian “to confound, confuse, perplex; to amaze”
- Proto-Indo-European* (s)
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.
Derivatives — words built from “amaze”
Related terms
Want to go deeper? See also “amaze” on Etymonline ↗
3 Original language
Where “amaze” came from before it was English.
The source marks part of this history as uncertain (it uses words like “perhaps” or “possibly”). Read the full etymology above before treating any single origin as certain.
4 Original meaning
What the word meant at the oldest point the record reaches.
Historical meaning — Webster’s 1913
A historical record, labelled as such: some of these senses are dated or have since shifted.
amaze v. t. [Pref. a- + maze.]
- To bewilder; to stupefy; to bring into a maze.
- To confound, as by fear, wonder, extreme surprise; to overwhelm with wonder; to astound; to astonish greatly.
amaze v. i.
- To be astounded.
amaze v. t.
- Bewilderment, arising from fear, surprise, or wonder; amazement.
5 Use it with confidence
Model sentences from the sources, matched to the meaning they show. Read each one aloud, then make your own in the game.
verbMeaning: To fill (someone) with surprise and wonder; to astonish, to astound, to surprise.
He was amazed when he found that the girl was a robot.
One of the most remarkable speeches of that day was made by a young man, whose eccentric career was destined to amaze Europe. This was Charles Mordaunt, Viscount Mordaunt, widely renowned, many years later, as Earl of Peterborough.1849, Thomas Babington Macaulay, chapter VI, in The History of England from the Accession of James II, volume II, London: Longman, Brown, Green, and Longmans, →OCLC, page 33:
verbMeaning: affect with wonder
Your ability to speak six languages amazes me!
Three steps to owning it
- Pick one meaning above and read its model sentence out loud.
- Say who or what the word is about in your own life, then build a sentence around that.
- Check it against the definition: would a careful reader understand exactly that meaning?
6 The mastery game
Play it here, or print it and do it with pen and paper. At the end you will know the meanings, history, origin and original meaning — and you will have used the word yourself.
Say it, then spell it
amaze
/əˈmeɪz/
Say the word out loud three times, slowly. Notice the stressed syllable. When you are ready, hide it and spell it from memory.
Activate Words · Word-mastery worksheet · Name: ______________________ Date: __________
amaze
/əˈmeɪz/ · verb, noun
Step 1 — Say it and write it
Say “amaze” out loud three times. Then cover the word and write it three times from memory.
Step 2 — Know every meaning
Read each definition. Then write it again in your own words.
Step 3 — History and origin
Write the word’s journey back in time (each language and form):
Write three words built from “amaze” and what each means:
Step 4 — Original meaning
The earliest traceable form is Old English āmasian. What did it mean?
How does that original meaning connect to the meanings today?
Step 5 — Use it yourself
☐ I can explain its meanings ☐ I know its history ☐ I know its original language ☐ I know its original meaning ☐ I can use it confidently
Answer key — amaze
Origin: B. Old English (Old English āmasian)
Journey: English amaze ← Middle English *amasen ← Middle English amased ← Old English āmasian ← Old English ā- + *masian ← Proto-Indo-European *
Some derivatives: amazeballs, amazed, amazedly, amazedness, amazement, amazing, amazingly, amazingness
Original meaning: Old English āmasian — “to confuse, astonish”
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”).
Sources: Wiktionary “amaze” (https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/amaze#English), CC BY-SA 4.0, via kaikki.org; Princeton WordNet 3.0; Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913, public domain) via GCIDE. Worksheet from https://activatewords.com/w/amaze