amaze

verb

1. (transitive)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.”

   “And all the people were amazed, and ſaid, Is this the ſonne of Dauid?”

   “Spain has long fallen from amazing Europe vvith her vvit, to amuſing them vvith the greatneſs of her catholic credulity.”

   “One of the most remarkable speeches of that day was made by a young man, whose eccentric career was destined to amaze Europe. This was Charles Mordaunt, Viscount Mordaunt, widely renowned, many years later, as Earl of Peterborough.”

   “Rachel was amazed. For one thing it amazed her to hear [William Makepeace] Thackeray called second-rate; and then she could not widen her point of view to believe that there could be great writers in existence at the present day, […]”

2. (obsolete, transitive)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: […]”

3. (also, obsolete, reflexive, transitive)To bewilder or perplex (someone or oneself).

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

   “[T]heir [flies'] breeding is ſo various and vvonderful, that I might eaſily amaze my ſelf, and tire you in a relation of them.”

4. (obsolete, poetic, transitive)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, […]”

   “Novv you muſt bee ſure […] to carry the point or top of the Rod dovvnevvard; by vvhich meanes the ſhadovv of your ſelfe, and Rod too vvill be the leaſt offenſive to the Fiſh, for the ſight of any ſhadovv amazes the fiſh, and ſpoiles your ſport, of vvhich you muſt take a great care.”

5. (archaic, intransitive)To experience amazement; to be astounded.

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

   “Pealing rays and trumpet-blazes,— / Eye is blinded, ear amazes: […]”

noun

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

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

   “His faces ovvn margent did coate ſuch amazes, / That all eyes ſavv his eyes inchaunted vvith gazes.”

   “VVhy, I am all in Amaze: I muſt ſit dovvn.”

   “Presently, however, as we stood in amaze, gazing at the marvellous sight, and wondering whence the rosy radiance flowed, a dread and beautiful thing happened.”

   “Shattuck looked at him in amaze. "Why, of course and welcome. What do you mean?" His tone was surprised and wounded, but pacific.”

2. (archaic, uncountable)Fear, terror.

   “[T]he whole rout was in amaze; his Lordſhip turned all manner of colours, my Lady fell into a ſwoon; […]”

   “He passed over Dor-nu-Fauglith like a wind amid the dust, and all that beheld his onset fled in amaze, thinking Oromë himself was come: for a great madness of rage was upon him, so that his eyes shone like the eyes of the Valar.”

3. (obsolete, uncountable)Stupefaction of the mind; bewilderment; (countable) an instance of this.

   “[T]he panicles or thin skins [of a horse] vvhich cleauing to the bones, doe couer the vvhole braine, are ſubiect to headache, mygram [migrane], dizineſſe, and amazes; […]”