What does amaze mean?
Amaze is a verb meaning to fill someone with wonder or astonishment, often overwhelming them with surprise or admiration. When people say they are amazed, they express a reaction stronger than ordinary surprise — a sense of being stunned by something extraordinary, whether a feat of skill, a breathtaking view, or an unexpected act of kindness. The word comes from Old English roots meaning to bewilder, and interestingly the noun "maze" arose as a back-formation from it, so the two words share a common ancestry. Today amaze carries almost entirely positive connotations and appears frequently in phrases such as "never ceases to amaze." Its derived forms include the adjective "amazing" and the noun "amazement," making it part of a small but versatile family of words used to describe our most delighted reactions to the remarkable.
To fill someone with wonder or astonishment; to overwhelm with surprise or admiration.
"The acrobat's daring performance amazed everyone in the crowd."
Most often used passively: people are amazed at or by something.
(Archaic) A state of bewilderment, confusion, or astonishment.
"He stood in amaze at what he had witnessed."
This noun sense is now obsolete; modern English uses "amazement" instead.
The word "maze" was actually created by dropping the first letter of "amaze" — so mazes are literally a shortened form of amazement.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of amaze
Amaze descends from the Old English verb "amasian," formed from the prefix "a-" plus "masian," meaning to bewilder or confuse. Middle English retained this sense of stunning or bewildering someone, sometimes with frightening connotations. The noun "maze" emerged in the late Middle English period as a back-formation from "amaze," stripping away the initial vowel. Over time the word's sense shifted from confusion toward positive wonder and astonishment, which remains its dominant meaning today.
Word family
Usage notes
Amaze is common in both everyday and formal speech and carries an overwhelmingly positive connotation today, expressing delight and admiration. In older English it could carry negative overtones of confusion or terror, but that sense has largely disappeared. It typically appears in the passive voice (people are amazed by something) more often than as a transitive action in active constructions.
Don't confuse with
Maize is a crop plant (corn), while amaze is a verb meaning to astonish — the two merely share a similar spelling.
Daze means to stun or confuse someone into a dazed state, whereas amaze emphasizes wonder and astonishment rather than disorientation.