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Amaze vs Dismay - What's the difference?

amaze | dismay |

As verbs the difference between amaze and dismay

is that amaze is (obsolete) to stupefy; to knock unconscious while dismay is to disable with alarm or apprehensions; to depress the spirits or courage of; to deprive of firmness and energy through fear; to daunt; to appall; to terrify.

As nouns the difference between amaze and dismay

is that amaze is while dismay is a sudden or complete loss of courage and firmness in the face of trouble or danger; overwhelming and disabling terror; a sinking of the spirits; consternation.

amaze

English

Verb

(amaz)
  • (obsolete) To stupefy; to knock unconscious.
  • (obsolete) To bewilder; to stupefy; to bring into a maze.
  • * Shakespeare
    • a labyrinth to amaze his foes
  • (obsolete) To terrify, to fill with panic.
  • *, New York Review Books 2001, p.261:
    • [Fear] amazeth many men that are to speak or show themselves in public assemblies, or before some great personages […].
  • To fill with wonder and surprise; to astonish, astound, surprise or perplex.
    • He was amazed when he found that the girl was a robot.
  • * Bible, Matthew xii. 23
    • And all the people were amazed , and said, Is not this the son of David?
  • * Goldsmith
    • Spain has long fallen from amazing Europe with her wit, to amusing them with the greatness of her Catholic credulity.
  • To undergo amazement; to be astounded.

    • Related terms

    * amazing * amazement

    Noun

    (-)
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , I.ii:
    • All in amaze he suddenly vp start / With sword in hand, and with the old man went [...].
  • * 1891 , (Mary Noailles Murfree), In the "Stranger People's" Country , Nebraska 2005, p. 103:
    • Shattuck looked at him in amaze .
  • * 1985 , (Lawrence Durrell), Quinx'', Faber & Faber 2004 (''Avignon Quintet ), p. 1361:
    • She took the proffered cheque and stared at it with puzzled amaze , dazed by her own behaviour.

    dismay

    English

    Noun

    (-)
  • A sudden or complete loss of courage and firmness in the face of trouble or danger; overwhelming and disabling terror; a sinking of the spirits; consternation.
  • Condition fitted to dismay; ruin.

    • Verb

    (en verb)
  • To disable with alarm or apprehensions; to depress the spirits or courage of; to deprive of firmness and energy through fear; to daunt; to appall; to terrify.
  • * Bible, Josh. i. 9
    • Be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed .
  • * Fairfax
    • What words be these? What fears do you dismay ?
  • To render lifeless; to subdue; to disquiet.
  • * Spenser
    • Do not dismay yourself for this.
  • To take dismay or fright; to be filled with dismay.
  • * 1592 , , III. iii. 1:
    • Dismay not, princes, at this accident,