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faze

verb
\ ˈfāz How to pronounce faze (audio) \
fazed; fazing

Definition of faze

transitive verb

: to disturb the composure of : disconcert, daunt Nothing fazed her. Criticism did not seem to faze the writer.
Synonyms Phase and Faze Did You Know? More Example Sentences Learn More about faze

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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.”

Did You Know?

Faze is a youngster among English words, relatively speaking; it first appeared in English in the early 1800s. That may not seem especially young, but consider that when faze first showed up in print in English, the works of Shakespeare were already over 200 years old, the works of Chaucer over 400 years old, and the Old English epic Beowulf was at least 800 years old. Faze is an alteration of the now-rare verb "feeze," which has the obsolete sense "to drive (someone or something) away" and which, by the 1400s, was also being used with the meaning "to frighten or put into a state of alarm." Feeze (fesen in Middle English and fēsian in Old English) is first known to have appeared in print in the late 800s, making it older than even the oldest extant copy of Beowulf in manuscript.

Examples of faze in a Sentence

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 opinions of analysts, oddsmakers and fans don't faze Thurman. — Mike Jones, USA TODAY, "Boxer Keith Thurman on Saturday showdown with Manny Pacquiao: 'This is a legacy fight'," 19 July 2019 Whether in the trenches or in media interviews, Creason never has seemed fazed by any of it. — Michael Lev, azcentral, "Counting down the most valuable Arizona Wildcats for 2019 football season," 9 July 2019 But length won’t faze tour players like Brooks Koepka, the world’s No. 1-ranked golfer, or dozens of others who drive the ball more than 330 yards these days. — Tad Reeve, Twin Cities, "Tad Reeve: Can TPC Twin Cities stand up to PGA Tour’s best at 3M Open?," 3 June 2019 However, Llorente does not appear fazed by taking the iconic shirt. — SI.com, "Marcos Llorente Reveals How Alvaro Morata Convinced Him to Join Atletico Madrid," 3 July 2019 Having beaten players in the world's top 10 seven times in her career, Putintseva never looked fazed against Osaka, unsettling the 21-year-old with her lethal backhand slice. — John Sinnott, CNN, "Naomi Osaka crashes out of Wimbledon in first round," 1 July 2019 France was vying to become the first nation to simultaneously hold the men’s and women’s World Cup trophies, but the home-field advantage and the flag-waving crowd that belted out La Marseillaise didn’t faze the ever-confident U.S. team. — Anne M. Peterson, Anchorage Daily News, "Megan Rapinoe leads U.S. past France in World Cup’s most anticipated match," 28 June 2019 None of that fazed the USMNT, which answered the challenge with a 6-0 drubbing in both teams’ penultimate Group D match at FirstEnergy Stadium Saturday night. — Ben Ferree, Pro Soccer USA, "USMNT routs Trinidad and Tobago 6-0 to advance in Gold Cup," 24 June 2019 With the exception of the town’s sword-wielding mortician (Tilda Swinton), Ronnie is the least fazed by the gruesome happenings. — Sonia Rao, Washington Post, "Snail mail, zombie tai chi and a Bill Murray joy ride: Making ‘The Dead Don’t Die’ was as surreal as it sounds," 13 June 2019

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

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First Known Use of faze

1830, in the meaning defined above

History and Etymology for faze

alteration of feeze to drive away, frighten, from Middle English fesen, from Old English fēsian to drive away

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More Definitions for faze

faze

verb
How to pronounce faze (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of faze

: to cause (someone) to feel afraid or uncertain

See the full definition for faze in the English Language Learners Dictionary

faze

verb
\ ˈfāz How to pronounce faze (audio) \
fazed; fazing

Kids Definition of faze

: to cause to hesitate or feel fear Nothing fazes her.

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More from Merriam-Webster on faze

Rhyming Dictionary: Words that rhyme with faze

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for faze

Spanish Central: Translation of faze

Nglish: Translation of faze for Spanish Speakers

Britannica English: Translation of faze for Arabic Speakers

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