Very surprised and filled with wonder, often in a positive way. It describes a strong reaction to something unexpected.
From Middle English *amased*, from *amase* meaning “to stun, confound,” likely from Old English *amasian* (“to confound, perplex”). The sense softened over time from being shocked or stunned to being pleasantly astonished.
Being “amazed” once meant being almost mentally stunned, as if your mind had been hit. Now we mostly use it for delight: fireworks, magic tricks, incredible talent. Our brains turned a word for overload into a word for joy.
Complete word intelligence in one call. Free tier — 50 lookups/day.