Did you know?
Can amazing mean "good"?
One common complaint regarding the adjectival use of amazing is the extent to which the word is used in what some feel is a watered-down fashion. Those who take this position argue that unless someone is literally being amazed, the word is ill-chosen.
While this defense of semantic integrity is understandable, we must point out that the broadened meaning of amazing is hardly an isolated case. In fact, a number of words that are semantically similar to amazing have also come unmoored from their original meanings. Fabulous once meant “characteristic of fables," and the earliest known sense of terrific was “exciting fear or awe.” Although the weakened meanings of such words have elicited complaints, most of them have eventually become accepted into the language over the course of time.
That being said, the use of amazing to indicate that something is slightly better than “pleasant” may provoke skepticism in others, so you are advised to know your audience before using it in this way.
Synonyms
Examples of amazing in a Sentence
Houston Mitchell, Los Angeles Times, 15 Apr. 2024
The person who looks amazing on paper isn’t always the right person.
—Rolling Stone Culture Council, Rolling Stone, 15 Apr. 2024
See all Example Sentences for amazing 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'amazing.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Articles Related to amazing
Dictionary Entries Near amazing
Cite this Entry
“Amazing.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amazing. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Share