amaze

Meanings

1. 1
   verb

   to be a mystery or bewildering to

   You amaze me with your unpredictable actions.

2. 2
   verb

   to affect with wonder

   Your ability to speak six languages amazes me!

3. 3
   verb

   To fill (someone) with surprise and wonder; to astonish, to astound, to surprise.

   He was amazed when he found that the girl was a robot.

4. 4
   verb

   To stun or stupefy (someone).

   Inſtead of thinking hovv to remedy this diſorder by rallying ſuch troops as fled, or by oppoſing freſh troops to ſtop the progreſs of the conquerors, being totally amazed by this firſt blovv, he [Pompey] returned to the camp, and in his tent, vvaited the iſſue of an event, vvhich it vvas his duty to direct, not to follovv: […]

5. 5
   verb

   To bewilder or perplex (someone or oneself).

   The many musits thought the which he goes / Are like a labyrinth to amaze his foes.

6. 6
   verb

   To fill (someone) with panic; to panic, to terrify.

   It [fear] amaſeth many men that are to ſpeake, or ſhevv themſelues in publike aſſemblies, or before ſome great personages, […]

7. 7
   verb

   To experience amazement; to be astounded.

   Madam amaze not, ſee his Maieſtie / Returnd vvith glory from the holy land.

8. 8
   noun

   Amazement, astonishment; (countable) an instance of this.

   All in amaze he ſuddenly vp ſtart / VVith ſvvord in hand, and vvith the old man vvent; […]

Etymology

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…