Meaning & use
amazed
Last updated
UK/əˈmeɪzd/
US/əˈmeɪzd/
“amazed” is a form of “amaze”. See that entry for the full set of meanings.
Meaning
adjectivecomparable
Very surprised and impressed by something unexpected.
Grammar: Follows be or feel, with by, at or that: She was amazed by the view.
Patterns
- amazed by something
- amazed at something
- amazed that something
I was amazed by how fast she learned.
They were amazed at the size of the cake.
He was amazed that no one noticed.
Word forms
| comparative | more amazed |
|---|---|
| superlative | most amazed |
Common combinations
- absolutely amazed
- I was absolutely amazed.
- amazed by
- We were amazed by the show.
- amazed at
- She was amazed at his skill.
- look amazed
- He looked amazed.
Synonyms and how they differ
- astonished
- Astonished is a little stronger and often about shocking news.
- astounded
- Astounded is stronger still, meaning almost unable to believe.
- surprised
- Surprised is milder and need not involve admiration.
Opposites
unimpressedunsurprised
Word family
Commonly confused: amazed or amazing?
amazed vs amazing
Amazing describes the thing that causes surprise; amazed describes the person who feels it.
Practice
We were ___ the speed of the new train.
Choose one answer.
Amazed describes the person, followed by by or at. Amazing would describe the train itself.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “amazed”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.
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