# amaze

Pronunciation: say "uh-MAYZ" /əˈmeɪz/

## Verb

1. To fill someone with surprise and wonder, leaving them astonished or astounded.
   - Simple: To make someone feel very surprised and full of wonder.
   - _The sheer scale of the canyon never fails to amaze first-time visitors._
   - _The young pianist amazed the entire concert hall with her final piece._

## Verb

2. To experience amazement; to be struck with astonishment and wonder at something. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: To feel very surprised and full of wonder.
   - _The pilgrims would amaze at the relics displayed within the shrine._
   - _The court amazed at the stranger's tale of distant lands._
4. To stun or stupefy someone, leaving them dazed and unable to act. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To shock someone so much that they cannot think or move.
5. To bewilder or perplex someone (or oneself), throwing the mind into confusion. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To confuse someone so badly that they don't know what to do.
7. To fill someone with panic; to terrify or strike with sudden dread. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: To fill someone with sudden fear or terror.

## Noun

3. A state of overwhelming surprise and wonder; an instance of such a feeling. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A feeling of great surprise and wonder.
   - _The children stared in silent amaze at the towering display of fireworks._
   - _A look of amaze crossed his face when the curtain finally rose._
6. A stupefied, bewildered state of mind; a particular instance of such dazed confusion. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A confused, stunned state where the mind cannot work clearly.
   - _The survivors wandered in amaze through the smoking ruins of the town._
   - _A sudden amaze seized him, and his thoughts scattered beyond recall._
8. A state of fear or terror; dread that overcomes the mind. *(archaic)*
   - Simple: A strong feeling of fear or terror.
   - _The camp was thrown into amaze by the sudden night attack._
   - _An amaze spread through the ranks as the enemy advanced._

## Origin

The verb derives from Middle English amasen ("to bewilder, perplex"), from Old English amasian ("to confuse, astonish"), formed from a perfective prefix plus a root meaning to confound or confuse, possibly ultimately from a Proto-Indo-European root meaning "to beckon, signal." The noun comes from the verb.

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/amaze (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).