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dazzle

verb
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daz·​zle | \ ˈda-zəl How to pronounce dazzle (audio) \
dazzled; dazzling\ ˈdaz-​liŋ How to pronounce dazzling (audio) , ˈda-​zə-​liŋ \

Definition of dazzle

intransitive verb

1 : to lose clear vision especially from looking at bright light
2a : to shine brilliantly … the woods dazzled whitely …— Truman Capote
b : to arouse admiration by an impressive display She dazzles in her live concerts.

transitive verb

1 : to overpower with light was dazzled by the camera flash
2 : to impress deeply, overpower, or confound with brilliance dazzled us with her wit
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Other Words from dazzle

dazzle noun
dazzler \ ˈda-​z(ə-​)lər How to pronounce dazzler (audio) \ noun

Synonyms for dazzle

Synonyms

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Examples of dazzle in a Sentence

Elvis always dazzled his audiences. Visitors were dazzled by the mansion's ornate rooms. She truly dazzles in her live concerts.
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Recent Examples on the Web There are also showoff clocks and dazzling mechanical automatons. — Washington Post, "The Met is the world’s greatest art museum. Three under-the-radar shows confirm it — again.," 10 Jan. 2020 Not a team that dazzles on offense but one that just defends the hell out of teams at the other end, takes their legs, breaks their spirit and then beats them down the floor. — Zach Osterman, Indianapolis Star, "Insider: In avoiding disaster, desperate IU just may have found its path to success," 9 Jan. 2020 Chris Wagner was the only one of six Boston shooters to connect in the shootout, potting a dazzling backhander to keep the Bruins alive immediately after the Hughes goal. — BostonGlobe.com, "NEWARK — On the verge of carrying a ego-boosting four-game winning streak into the new year, the Bruins tipped over the punch bowl and sent the dessert tray skittering across the ice Tuesday afternoon, turning their comfy 2-0 lead into a 3-2 shootout loss to the Devils at the Prudential Center.," 1 Jan. 2020 Each unique in color and design, the street is transformed into one that dazzles. — Sainted & Tainted Writers, Twin Cities, "Sainted: A little help turned into a lot of help. Thanks, Morgan!," 28 Dec. 2019 Nix is a 6-foot-5, 205-pound point guard whose skills dazzled those who saw him play at Mears Middle School and with the Alaska Gold AAU program. — Beth Bragg, Anchorage Daily News, "Daishen Nix, Alaska’s hottest high school basketball player, will finally play in Alaska," 18 Dec. 2019 The next year, Diddy appeared at Ultra, taking the stage with Skrillex, Diplo and Justin Bieber and looking dazzled, if perhaps also a bit dazed, by the fireworks lit spectacle. — Billboard Staff, Billboard, "The Top 100 Moments of the EDM Decade," 17 Dec. 2019 The house next door to them had set up a dazzling display featuring thousands of lights. — Kelly Corbett, House Beautiful, "One Family's Hilarious Response to Their Neighbors’ Over-the-Top Christmas Lights," 4 Dec. 2019 These are the sententious keynote presentations, used to dazzle investors or recruit employees, that try to get a startup to seem like a holy mission. — Wired, "Tech Marketing Is Losing Its Cool," 22 Oct. 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dazzle.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of dazzle

15th century, in the meaning defined at intransitive sense 1

History and Etymology for dazzle

frequentative of daze

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Time Traveler for dazzle

Time Traveler

The first known use of dazzle was in the 15th century

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Statistics for dazzle

Last Updated

15 Jan 2020

Cite this Entry

“Dazzle.” The Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster Inc., https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dazzle. Accessed 25 January 2020.

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More Definitions for dazzle

dazzle

verb
How to pronounce dazzle (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of dazzle

of a bright light : to cause (someone) to be unable to see for a short time
: to greatly impress or surprise (someone) by being very attractive or exciting

See the full definition for dazzle in the English Language Learners Dictionary

dazzle

verb
daz·​zle | \ ˈda-zəl How to pronounce dazzle (audio) \
dazzled; dazzling

Kids Definition of dazzle

1 : to overpower with too much light The desert sunlight dazzled us.
2 : to confuse, surprise, or delight by being or doing something special and unusual The magician's tricks dazzled the audience.

Other Words from dazzle

dazzlingly \ ˈdaz-​ling-​lē \ adverb

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More from Merriam-Webster on dazzle

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for dazzle

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with dazzle

Spanish Central: Translation of dazzle

Nglish: Translation of dazzle for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of dazzle for Arabic Speakers

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