Did you know?
If you're hazy on faze, let us filter out the fuzz. Faze (not to be confused with phase) first appeared in English in the early 1800s with the same meaning we give it today: to disturb the composure of. Its appearance came centuries after the works of Shakespeare and Chaucer were penned, but both of those authors were familiar with the word's ancient parent, the now-rare verb feeze, which has been in use since the days of Old English (in the form fēsian), when it meant "to drive away" or "to put to flight." By the 1400s, it was also being used with the meaning "to frighten or put into a state of alarm," a sense close to that of the modern faze. While it is possible to use faze in constructions like "I felt fazed by the prospect of starting at a new school," it more often appears with negation, as in "it didn’t faze her a bit” or “nothing fazes him."
Did you know?
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.”
Synonyms
Examples of faze in a Sentence
Sarah Bahr, New York Times, 3 Apr. 2024
But despite the internet noise, Cavallari doesn’t seem fazed by other people’s opinions and leaned into her new relationship.
—Sara Vallone, Miami Herald, 2 Apr. 2024
The 25-year-old Japanese right-hander, who will make his second exhibition start against the Chicago White Sox at Camelback Ranch on Wednesday, was hardly fazed, shrugging off the potential pitch-tipping development when it was brought to his attention earlier this week.
—Mike Digiovanna, Los Angeles Times, 5 Mar. 2024
They sure didn’t look fazed by the big stage in their 62-35 wire-to-wire win over No. 6 Horizon.
—Matt Schubert, The Denver Post, 6 Mar. 2024
Hannah, Harper and Hayley were also not fazed by their dad's Emmy wins for his series Barry.
—Kelsey Lentz, Peoplemag, 19 Jan. 2024
Dark alleyways and menacing strangers don’t faze him, and what woman does not envy that confidence?
—Elisabeth Vincentelli, New York Times, 4 Jan. 2024
The Florida Panthers’ lead on the Buffalo Sabres shrunk to a single goal with a little more than seven minutes left and yet the Panthers hardly looked fazed.
—David Wilson, Miami Herald, 27 Feb. 2024
But most don’t see fazed either way and aren’t bothered.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 19 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'faze.' 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 faze
Dictionary Entries Near faze
Cite this Entry
“Faze.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/faze. Accessed 20 Apr. 2024.
Copy Citation
Share