Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- intransitive verb To dim the vision of, especially to blind with intense light.
- intransitive verb To amaze, overwhelm, or bewilder with spectacular display.
- intransitive verb To become blinded.
- intransitive verb To inspire admiration or wonder.
- noun The act of dazzling or the state of being dazzled.
from The Century Dictionary.
- To overpower with light; hinder distinct vision of by intense light; dim, as the sight, by excess of light.
- Figuratively, to overpower or confound by splendor or brilliancy, or with show or display of any kind.
- To be stupefied; be mentally confused.
- To be overpowered by light; become unsteady or waver, as the sight.
- To be overpoweringly or blindingly bright.
- Figuratively, to excite admiration by brilliancy or showy qualities which overbear criticism.
- noun Brightness; splendor; excess of light.
- noun Meretricious display; brilliancy.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- transitive verb To overpower with light; to confuse the sight of by brilliance of light.
- transitive verb To bewilder or surprise with brilliancy or display of any kind.
- intransitive verb To be overpoweringly or intensely bright; to excite admiration by brilliancy.
- intransitive verb To be overpowered by light; to be confused by excess of brightness.
- noun A light of dazzling brilliancy.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- verb transitive To confuse the
sight of by means of excessive brightness. - verb transitive, figuratively To
render incapable of thinking clearly; to overwhelm with showiness or brilliance. - noun A light of dazzling brilliancy.
- noun uncommon A
herd of zebra.
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- verb to cause someone to lose clear vision, especially from intense light
- verb amaze or bewilder, as with brilliant wit or intellect or skill
- noun brightness enough to blind partially and temporarily
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License
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Examples
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Going on their air on a regular basis and lending your name and reputation to their ideological razzle-dazzle is like agreeing to be the regular kulak guest columnist at Pravda in 1929.
Juan Williams, axed Michael Tomasky 2010
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As to American susceptibility to Rovian razzle-dazzle, that is a matter of bleak historical record and I shouldn't have to strain myself to prove anything.
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Shouting, making his swung sword dazzle in light, Diego de Arana raced down path, and Diego Minas and Beltran the cook and Juan Lepe with him.
1492, 1922
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Shouting, making his swung sword dazzle in light, Diego de Arana raced down path, and Diego Minas and Beltran the cook and Juan Lepe with him.
1492 Mary Johnston 1903
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The shoulders and sleeves are white and made of a shiny tightly woven nylon called dazzle mesh.
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Wadsworth's art incorporated docked steamships painted in what was termed dazzle camouflage-sharp, geometric contrasts meant to baffle enemy range finding during World
artforum.com 2010
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Completing the dazzle is the crown which spots 12 0. 4carat baguette-cut diamonds.
Luxurylaunches.com 2010
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The shoulders and sleeves are white and made of a shiny tightly woven nylon called dazzle mesh.
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The Chinese successfully tested an antisatellite missile in 2007 and have reportedly used lasers to "dazzle" (or temporarily blind) U.S. satellites.
China's 'Finlandization' Strategy in the Pacific Andrew F. Krepinevich 2010
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Maybe he is meant to be a kind of dazzle camouflage , a collection of garish traits that prevent you from seeing the person.
The Electric Mayhem: Notes on Inherent Vice by Thomas Pynchon 2009
frogapplause commented on the word dazzle
I read somewhere that a group of zebras is a dazzle. I think I'll continue calling them a herd.
April 19, 2010
bilby commented on the word dazzle
*steals frogapplause's herd of zebras and turns then into a dazzling set of curtains, lounge suite and cocktail jacket*
April 19, 2010
frogapplause commented on the word dazzle
The vegan butcher strikes again!
April 19, 2010
bilby commented on the word dazzle
Live zebras make for the most dazzling cut of cocktail jackets, frogger.
April 20, 2010
bilby commented on the word dazzle
Also a style of camouflage. See dazzle ship.
March 23, 2016