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

• bedazzle
• blind
• daze

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

The Buffalo Bills quarterback — who was named last season's NFL MVP — looked dapper in an all-black ensemble while the actress dazzled in a bright red evening gown and black heels. —Natasha Dye, People.com, 4 Apr. 2025

Despite some slim-pickings footage from set, the convention of global movie theater owners were dazzled by what Amazon MGM has set in motion with stars Nicholas Galitzine and Camila Mendes under director Travis Knight. —Matt Donnelly, Variety, 3 Apr. 2025

North Carolina failed to dazzle the recruiting/portal nerds. —Bill Speros, Boston Herald, 2 Apr. 2025

German Marquez dazzled, throwing six shutout innings in his 2025 debut after missing most of the last two seasons due to injury. —Kyle Newman, Denver Post, 31 Mar. 2025

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