Amaze

A·maze

Amaze

v. t.

imp. & p. p. Amazed; p. pr. & vb. n. Amazing

  1. To bewilder; to stupefy; to bring into a maze. [Obs.]
    A labyrinth to amaze his foes.
  2. To confound, as by fear, wonder, extreme surprise; to overwhelm with wonder; to astound; to astonish greatly.
    And all the people were amazed, and said, Is not this the son of David?
    — Matt. xii. 23.
Syn. -- To astonish; astound; confound; bewilder; perplex; surprise.

-- Amaze, Astonish. Amazement includes the notion of bewilderment of difficulty accompanied by surprise. It expresses a state in which one does not know what to do, or to say, or to think. Hence we are amazed at what we can not in the least account for. Astonishment also implies surprise. It expresses a state in which one is stunned by the vastness or greatness of something, or struck with some degree of horror, as when one is overpowered by the normity of an act, etc.

Amaze

v. i.
  1. To be astounded. [Archaic]

Amaze

v. t.
  1. Bewilderment, arising from fear, surprise, or wonder; amazement. [Chiefly poetic]
    The wild, bewildered Of one to stone converted by amaze.