faze

verb

ˈfāz

fazed; fazing

Synonyms of faze next

transitive verb

: to disturb the composure of : disconcert, daunt

Nothing fazed her.

Criticism did not seem to faze the writer.

Did you know?

Faze (not to be confused with phase) first appeared in English in the early 1800s—centuries after the works of Shakespeare and Chaucer were penned. But both of those authors were familiar with the word's ancient parent: faze is an alteration of the now-rare verb feeze, which has been in use since the days of Old English (in the form fēsian), when it meant "to drive away" or "to put to flight." By the 1400s, it was also being used with the meaning "to frighten or put into a state of alarm." The word is still used in some English dialects as a noun meaning "rush" or "a state of alarm or excitement."

Did you know?

Phase and Faze

Phase and faze are homophones (words pronounced alike but different in meaning, derivation, or spelling) that may easily be confused. Despite the similarity in pronunciation, these words bear little semantic resemblance to one another.

Although phase can function as a verb – it is found especially in combinations such as phase out, phase in, and phase into, meaning “to end, begin, etc. in phases” – the word is most commonly encountered as a noun, in which it typically carries a meaning related to steps in a process, cycles, or stages of development (as in “phases of the moon”).

Faze is generally used only as a verb, and means “to daunt or disconcert.” It often appears in negative expressions such as “it didn’t faze her a bit” or “nothing fazes him.”

Example Sentences

You'll never succeed as a writer if you let a little bit of criticism faze you. the collapse of part of the scenery didn't faze the actors one bit, and they just carried on

Recent Examples on the Web The company that rents mortuary props also offers real autopsies, so the Hollywood writers’ strike won’t faze its owners. —

Reis Thebault, Washington Post, 11 May 2023 Long-ball reliance isn’t fazing Dodgers after series win April 23, 2023 Asked whether doing it all a second time will be any easier, Betts flashed a sly grin. —

Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 27 Apr. 2023 But taking on the conservative administration doesn’t faze Kim, who has been sued for defamation on several occasions. —

Yoonjung Seo, CNN, 5 May 2023 Athlete of the Year Elise Cooper, McDonogh, sophomore When Elise Cooper lined up for one of her races at the Interscholastic Athletic Association of Maryland A Conference championships, the hefty competition didn’t faze the sophomore. —

Anthony Maluso, Baltimore Sun, 7 Apr. 2023 For Robin Jansson, the limited number of days to recover doesn’t faze a team that’s looking to remain unbeaten. —

Mike Gramajo, Orlando Sentinel, 10 Mar. 2023 Melissa Gorga proved she isn't fazed by negativity. —

Michelle Lee, Peoplemag, 20 Feb. 2023 Chappelle seemed to argue Musk is above the rest of us, so the booing wouldn’t even faze him. —

Prem Thakker, The New Republic, 12 Dec. 2022 Plews was also the father of young children, meaning that a new mother’s emotional swings, her struggles with breastfeeding or urinating in her training shorts during runs didn’t faze him. —

Matthew Futterman, New York Times, 30 Mar. 2023 See More

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'faze.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.