dazzle

verb

daz·​zle ˈda-zəl 

dazzled; dazzling ˈdaz-liŋ 

ˈda-zə-liŋ

intransitive verb

1

: to lose clear vision especially from looking at bright light

2

a

: 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

dazzle noun

dazzler

ˈda-z(ə-)lər 

noun

Synonyms of dazzle

• blind
• stun

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Zendaya was surely hard to miss on the red carpet, dazzling in a custom Prada gown embellished with what appeared to be silver sequins and appliqués and sheer white fabric at the low-cut neckline. — Skyler Caruso, PEOPLE, 15 Sep. 2026

On the fashion front, Gu dazzled in Iris van Herpen at this year’s edition of the Grand Dîner du Louvre and has attended shows including Chanel’s fall 2026 ready-to-wear and Dior fall 2026 couture shows. — Wwd Staff, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026

That's a small sample size compared to the massive administrative datasets that tend to dazzle today's econ nerds. — Greg Rosalsky, NPR, 14 Sep. 2026

After dazzling at the European Championships, an 800m rematch between Audrey Werro, Femke Broeders-Bol and Keely Hodgkinson did not disappoint. — Liam Tharme, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

frequentative of daze

First Known Use

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

Phrases Containing dazzle

• razzle-dazzle

Kids Definition

dazzle

verb

daz·​zle ˈdaz-əl 

dazzled; dazzling -(ə-)liŋ 

1

: to overpower with light

the desert sunlight dazzled us

2

: to impress greatly or confuse with brilliance

dazzled the crowds with fiery speeches

dazzle noun

dazzler

-(ə-)lər 

noun

dazzlingly

-(ə-)liŋ-lē 

adverb