massage

noun mas·sage \ mə-ˈsäzh , -ˈsäj \

|Updated on: 18 Aug 2018

Definition of massage

: manipulation of tissues (as by rubbing, kneading, or tapping) with the hand or an instrument for relaxation or therapeutic purposes

gave him a neck massage

See massage defined for English-language learners

See massage defined for kids

Examples of massage in a Sentence

She gave him a neck massage.
using massage to help relax

Recent Examples of massage from the Web

Randy Pierce, spa director at the Remède Spaat , said its CBD oil massage add-on is extremely popular.

— janna mandell, SFChronicle.com, "SF spas embrace CBD-infused rituals," 28 June 2018
Fairfax County Police said the woman was assaulted by Amr Mohammed, 51, of Prince William County, during her massage.

— dana hedgpeth, Washington Post, "Woman assaulted during massage at McLean spa, police say," 26 June 2018
Self-massage and at least eight hours of sleep As a former personal trainer and competitive obstacle course athlete, TJ Wynn is a big believer in functional fitness.

— laura schwecherl, SELF, "13 Athletes Share How They Recover After a Tough Workout," 14 July 2018
Apply in Small-to-Big Loops To give yourself a mini-facial moment, Shiseido recommends a quick massage technique.

— The Cut, "How to Get the Most Out of Your Serum," 13 July 2018
Now, this really shouldn't be anything new considering how popular jade rollers are right now, but the way my aesthetician performed this massage literally changed my life, not to mention my eye-care routine.

— rebecca norris, Allure, "I Tried a Japanese Skin-Care Routine for a Month, and These Are the Results," 9 July 2018
According to the Daily Mail, England's medical team are confident the issue was nothing more than cramp and have prescribed regular ice baths and massages to best prepare the Tottenham man for the quarter final showdown on Saturday.

— SI.com, "England Handed Harry Kane Boost But Others Remain Major Injury Doubts for Sweden Clash," 5 July 2018
This treatment, at one of Seattle’s best spas, includes cupping and lymphatic-drainage massage to improve circulation and reduce bloating and swelling, plus 30 minutes in an Infrared Jade Pod to sweat out the last of the toxins.

— olivia hall, The Seattle Times, "Overstressed? 15 wellness trends to help you relax," 3 July 2018
The journeyman point guard shoots at least 100 foul shots every day in the offseason, keeps regular appointments with trainers for massages and tapings, peppers young teammates with pointers and doesn’t complain when his playing time fluctuates.

— connor letourneau, SFChronicle.com, "Shaun Livingston: How Warriors guard peaked when it mattered most," 1 July 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of massage

French, from masser to massage, from Arabic massa to stroke

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: circa 1860

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

Other Medicine Terms

analgesia, angina, diabetes, hepatitis, homeopathy, logorrhea, palliate, pandemic

massage

verb

Definition of massage

massaged; massaging

transitive verb

1 : to subject to massage

2 a : to treat flatteringly : blandish

b : manipulate, doctor

massaged the data to help his cause

—

massager

noun

See massage defined for English-language learners

Examples of massage in a Sentence

She massaged her leg until the numbness was gone.
a candidate who knows that you have to massage the voters if you want to get elected

Recent Examples of massage from the Web

Djokovic called for a trainer and had his left leg massaged when leading, 4-3, in the third set.

— mattias karen, BostonGlobe.com, "Third-seeded Marin Cilic upset at Wimbledon," 5 July 2018
Djokovic called for a trainer and had his left leg massaged when leading 4-3 in the third set.

— Houston Chronicle, "Novak Djokovic, Rafael Nadal advance at Wimbledon," 5 July 2018
From there, Omari started massaging shea butter into my face with long, careful strokes.

— rachel nussbaum, Glamour, "I Tried the Weird Mouth Massage Meghan Markle Swears By," 18 May 2018
Pour half of the dressing over the kale and cabbage and massage the dressing into the greens using your hands.

— maya wilson, Anchorage Daily News, "This Thai peanut salad is fresh and colorful, with a satisfying crunch," 10 May 2018
Angeli chef Kathy Ternay started massaging olive oil into the fresh crumbs and baking them.

— evan kleiman, latimes.com, "The outrageously simple joy of bread crumbs, plus a recipe for cauliflower steaks with (surprise!) garlicky bread crumbs," 9 Mar. 2018
The idea is to let the salt slowly pull water from the cucumbers rather than massage them with salt, so the cucumbers keep their form. 2.

— lisa beebe, Good Housekeeping, "This Woman Travels The Country In A School Bus Teaching People How To Pickle," 12 Dec. 2017
After masking, gently massage your moisturizer into the skin to boost circulation and reduce puffiness.

— lauren valenti, Vogue, "6 Ways to Make Your Foundation Look Like a Second Skin," 12 July 2018
Put the bread and oil in a medium bowl with a pinch of salt and mix thoroughly, massaging the bread to saturate it with oil.

— sarah fritsche, SFChronicle.com, "Recipe: Tawla’s Fattoush," 3 July 2018

Origin and Etymology of massage

see ¹massage

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1887

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

massage Synonyms

Synonyms

adulate, blarney, butter up, flatter, hero-worship, honey, overpraise, puff, soft-soap, stroke;

Near Antonyms

bad-mouth, belittle, decry, depreciate, disparage, put down;

fawn, kowtow, suck (up to), toady;

idolize, worship;

eulogize, extol (also extoll), laud, praise;

applaud, commend, compliment;

congratulate, felicitate;

drool, gush, slaver, slobber;

endear, ingratiate;

court, romance, woo;

MASSAGE Defined for English Language Learners

massage

noun

Definition of massage for English Language Learners

: the action of rubbing or pressing someone's body in a way that helps muscles to relax or reduces pain in muscles and joints

massage

verb

Definition of massage for English Language Learners

: to rub or press (someone's body) in a way that helps muscles to relax or reduces pain in muscles and joints : to give a massage to (someone or a part of someone's body)
: to change (numbers, data, etc.) in a dishonest way in order to deceive people