amaze

verb

ə-ˈmāz How to pronounce amaze (audio)
Definition of amazenext
as in to surprise
to make a strong impression on (someone) with something unexpected your ability to remember names and faces amazes me

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Synonym Chooser

How does the verb amaze contrast with its synonyms?

Some common synonyms of amaze are astonish, astound, flabbergast, and surprise. While all these words mean "to impress forcibly through unexpectedness," amaze suggests an effect of bewilderment.

amazed by the immense size of the place

When would astonish be a good substitute for amaze?

The synonyms astonish and amaze are sometimes interchangeable, but astonish implies surprising so greatly as to seem incredible.

a discovery that astonished the world

In what contexts can astound take the place of amaze?

The words astound and amaze can be used in similar contexts, but astound stresses the shock of astonishment.

too astounded to respond

Where would flabbergast be a reasonable alternative to amaze?

The meanings of flabbergast and amaze largely overlap; however, flabbergast may suggest thorough astonishment and bewilderment or dismay.

flabbergasted by his angry refusal

When could surprise be used to replace amaze?

While the synonyms surprise and amaze are close in meaning, surprise stresses causing an effect through being unexpected but not necessarily unusual or novel.

surprised to find them at home

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of amaze Melissa's rapid intensification and high winds and atypical hurricane behavior amazed even some of the more experienced scientists who study tropical cyclones, thanks in part to its journey over some exceptionally warm waters in the Caribbean. —Dinah Voyles Pulver, USA Today, 25 Feb. 2026 But Manso consistently pulls rebounds away from taller players, scores inside and makes plays that amaze his teammates. —Steve Millar, Chicago Tribune, 18 Feb. 2026 Beneath the glamour and glitz is a heartwarming story that continues to dazzle and amaze every year. —Arkansas Online, 15 Feb. 2026 Eva’s romance with her husband, Franklin Plaskett, delights and amazes her. —Adelle Waldman, The Atlantic, 10 Feb. 2026 See All Example Sentences for amaze
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amaze
  1. surprise
  2. astonish
  3. stun
  4. shock
  5. startle
  6. astound
Verb
  • Her plan to surprise her husband quickly spiraled into joyful chaos.
    — Liz O'Connell, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 Mar. 2026
  • Mamdani’s victory seemed to have surprised and unsettled him.
    — Eyal Press, New Yorker, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of surprise
Verb
  • More than 42,000 of those pieces were found over just the past eight years of excavation, a pace that astonishes even the researchers leading the work.
    — Ryan Brennan April 1, Kansas City Star, 1 Apr. 2026
  • The news, revealed in court filings last week, astonished environmental lawyers, who were already shocked after the Department of the Interior announced two weeks ago that a meeting to discuss an exemption would take place on March 31.
    — Chiara Eisner, NPR, 30 Mar. 2026
Definition of astonish
Verb
  • Arms were folded, faces stunned by, and a feeling of defeat—that's what was left as the road to the championship came to a halt with the Fighting Illini losing to the UConn Huskies.
    — Jermont Terry, CBS News, 5 Apr. 2026
  • While new-car sales dropped in the EU through January, BYD stunned the market by reporting a 175% year-on-year increase in deliveries to 13,982 units, according to ACEA data.
    — Sam Meredith,Joseph Wilkins, CNBC, 5 Apr. 2026
Definition of stun
Verb
  • One of his players from the 2005 team, outfielder Scott Podsednik, shocked Guillén with the announcement.
    — LaMond Pope, Chicago Tribune, 4 Apr. 2026
  • Coming off three straight 100-loss seasons and widely projected for a fourth in 2026, Polis believes the club’s changed front office, led by president of baseball operations Paul DePodesta, gives the Rockies a shot to shock the baseball world with a wild-card berth.
    — Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 3 Apr. 2026
Definition of shock
Verb
  • This is a novel about Jewish bodies and how people respond to them, the toll of obsession, and the conflicting currents of desire and unease that shake and startle a deep romantic fixation.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 2 Apr. 2026
  • Kevin Uribe, another employee, said the sound of the collapse initially startled him.
    — Ivan Taylor, CBS News, 2 Apr. 2026
Definition of startle
Verb
  • The Pleiades remains a spectacular sight today through a pair of 10X50 binoculars or a telescope, even the most modest of which would astound the old scientist who first examined the deep sky object in detail.
    — Anthony Wood, Space.com, 22 Mar. 2026
  • Throughout it all, Kudrow astounds.
    — Ben Travers, IndieWire, 17 Mar. 2026
Definition of astound

Browse Nearby Words

amatory
amaze
amazed
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Cite this Entry

“Amaze.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amaze. Accessed 6 Apr. 2026.

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