What does faze mean?
"Faze" is a transitive verb meaning to disturb, disconcert, or unnerve someone — to shake their composure or confidence. It is nearly always encountered in negative constructions: a person is described as unfazed, or as someone whom nothing can faze, conveying remarkable steadiness in the face of pressure, criticism, or surprise. For example, a seasoned performer might remain unfazed by heckling from the audience. The word is informal to neutral in tone and appears widely in journalism and everyday speech on both sides of the Atlantic. Its most distinctive feature is grammatical: positive uses such as "the news fazed him" are rare, making "faze" one of English's notable polarized verbs. It should not be confused with "phase," which refers to a stage in a process. Derived ultimately from Old English "fesian," meaning to drive away or put to flight, "faze" carries centuries of history beneath its modern, understated use.
verbTo disturb, disconcert, or daunt someone; to cause a person to feel unsettled or lose composure.
- To disconcert or disturb someone, causing them to lose composure or confidence.
"Even the sudden change in plans didn't faze her."
"The critics' harsh reviews didn't faze the young director in the slightest."
"She was utterly fazed when the power failed moments before her presentation."
Nothing fazes you — literally: the word traces back over a thousand years to an Old English verb meaning to drive off or put to flight.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of faze
"Faze" descends from the Middle English "fesen" or "fezen," itself from the Old English "fesian," meaning to drive away, put to flight, or frighten. A related form, "feeze," survives dialectally in American English with senses of driving, twisting, or roughing up. The modern sense of disconcerting or unnerving someone developed from this older idea of putting a person to flight.
How faze is actually used
"Faze" is used almost exclusively in negative constructions — "not fazed," "nothing could faze" — and is common in informal and journalistic register. The adjective "unfazed" is more frequent than the verb itself in everyday use. It is standard in both British and American English.
Easily confused with faze
"Phase" is a noun or verb referring to a stage or period of development, while "faze" is a verb meaning to disconcert or unsettle someone.