amaze

Meaning

Verb

1. (transitive) To fill (someone) with surprise and wonder; to astonish, to astound, to surprise.
2. (obsolete, transitive) To stun or stupefy (someone).
3. (also, obsolete, reflexive, transitive) To bewilder or perplex (someone or oneself).
4. (obsolete, poetic, transitive) To fill (someone) with panic; to panic, to terrify.
5. (archaic, intransitive) To experience amazement; to be astounded.

Noun

1. (archaic, uncountable) Amazement, astonishment; (countable) an instance of this.
2. (archaic, uncountable) Fear, terror.
3. (obsolete, uncountable) Stupefaction of the mind; bewilderment; (countable) an instance of this.

Synonyms

astonish

surprise

astound

stun

bewilder

dumbfound

perplex

flabbergast

daze

stupefy

wonder

confound

stagger

nonplus

puzzle

startle

strike dumb

mystify

amazement

shock

⚡

baffle

stick

afraid

astonishment

be amazed

beat

bedazzle

bemuse

confuse

fascinate

flummox

get

gravel

impress

marvel

pose

vex

be amazing

overcome

overwhelm

distress

stonish

distract

shake

🫨

dismay

discompose

curious

adore

catch

befuddle

Translations

étonner

asombrar

sorprender

verblüffen

stupéfier

verbazen

étourdir

sorprendere

meravigliare

erstaunen

bevreemden

εκπλήσσω

sbalordire

ébahir

pasmar

Pronounced as (IPA)

/əˈmeɪz/

Etymology

Inherited from Middle English: *amasen

Inherited from Old English: āmasian

Inherited from Middle English: amase

In summary

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.