amaze
gb/əmˈeɪz/ us/əmˈeɪz/
B1
English
~ 900
Senses
0 senses
Verb
B1
action
1
To greatly surprise or impress
To make someone feel very surprised or full of wonder.
Usage pattern:
to amaze [someone]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'amaze' with 'amuse'. 'Amaze' means to surprise greatly, while 'amuse' means to make someone laugh or entertain them.
Synonyms
astonish (Very close in meaning, often interchangeable, but 'astonish' can sound slightly more formal.)
|
astound (Emphasizes being shocked or overwhelmed, sometimes more intense than 'amaze'.)
Antonyms
bore (Opposite in emotional impact, causing disinterest instead of excitement or surprise.)
Collocations
amaze the crowd
|amaze everyone
|amaze the audience
|never cease to amaze
|amaze me
Themes
emotions
|communication
|daily life
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her singing voice will amaze you.
- The magician's tricks never fail to amaze the audience.
- It amazes me how quickly technology changes.
- The view from the top of the mountain amazed us all.
- His ability to solve the puzzle amazed his friends.
Learner examples
- The story will amaze you.
- The big dog amazed the children.
- It amazes me every time I see it.
- She amazed her teacher with her work.
Grammar
Expressions
amaze yourself
1/əmˈeɪz jʊɹsˈɛlf/
fixed phrase
To surprise yourself with achievement
To do something that surprises you because it is better or harder than you thought you could do.
Examples
- You might amaze yourself with what you can achieve.
- He amazed himself by finishing the marathon.
never cease to amaze
1/nˈɛvɚ sˈis tə əmˈeɪz/
fixed phrase
To keep surprising or impressing
To keep making someone feel surprised or impressed again and again.
Examples
- Her creativity never ceases to amaze me.
- The beauty of nature never ceases to amaze.