dazzling
Syllables: dazz·ling/ˈdæz.l̩.ɪŋ/
dazzling is the present participle and gerund of dazzle.
Adjective
dazzling (comparative more dazzling, superlative most dazzling)
- Extremely bright, especially so as to blind the eyes temporarily; bright to the degree that dazzles.
- [H]is ſupercilious glances grevv humbled, yea, his dazeling ſplendor (eclipſt in the ſetting [i.e., death] of his Maſter) becomes quickly darkned: […]1638, Tho[mas] Herbert, Some Yeares Travels Into Divers Parts of Asia and Afrique. […], 2nd edition, London: […] R[ichard] Bi[sho]p for Iacob Blome and Richard Bishop, →OCLC, book II, page 206
- There is something in intense suffering that seeks concealment, something that is fain to belie itself. In Cooper's novel of the "Bravo," Jacques conceals himself and his boat, by lying where the moonlight fell dazzling on the water. We do the same with any great despair, we shroud it in a...1837, L[etitia] E[lizabeth] L[andon], “Success”, in Ethel Churchill: Or, The Two Brides. […], volume II, London: Henry Colburn, […], →OCLC, page 80
- Very brilliant or splendid in display; that dazzles the mind of the observer.
- Oakland native [Andre] Ward is now unbeaten in 25 fights and can now claim to be one of the top few pound-for-pound fighters on the planet after a technically dazzling display.2011 December 18, Ben Dirs, “Carl Froch outclassed by dazzling Andre Ward”, in BBC Sport
Meaning of dazzle
Verb
dazzle (third-person singular simple present dazzles, present participle dazzling, simple past and past participle dazzled)
- To confuse or overpower the sight of (someone or something, such as a sensor) by means of excessive brightness.
- Dazzled by the headlights of the lorry, the deer stopped in the middle of the street.
- To render incapable of thinking clearly; to overwhelm with showiness or brilliance.
- The delegates were dazzled by the originality of his arguments.
- To be overpowered by light; to be confused by excess of brightness.
- For we see, that an over-light maketh the Eyes dazel, insomuch as perpetual looking against the Sun, would cause blindness.1626, Francis Bacon, Sylva Sylvarum: or, A Natural History in Ten Centuries
Noun
dazzling (plural dazzlings)
- The action of the verb to dazzle; dazzlement
- Our organization secures the greatest amount of good unbalanced by accomplished evil of any known system, a good which resembles the sober hue of massive gold, rather than the splendid dazzlings of a baser metal.1837, Minutes of the General Association of Massachusetts
Forms of dazzling
| Adjective | |
|---|---|
| comparative | more dazzling |
| superlative | most dazzling |
| Noun | |
| plural | dazzlings |
Origin of dazzling
dazzle + -ing.
Words formed from dazzling
Questions about dazzling
- What does dazzling mean?
- Dazzling means extremely bright, especially so as to blind the eyes temporarily; bright to the degree that dazzles.
- What is dazzling the present participle and gerund of?
- Dazzling is the present participle and gerund of dazzle.
- What part of speech is dazzling?
- Dazzling can be an adjective or a noun.
- How do you pronounce dazzling?
- Dazzling is pronounced /ˈdæz.l̩.ɪŋ/.
Words near dazzling in the dictionary
Source and license
Adapted from Wiktionary: dazzling (page history and authors); dazzle (page history and authors). Text available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 license. Word.ws reformatted the entry and added links. Wiktionary data of 2026-09-02.
Last updated:
Pronunciation audio from Wikimedia Commons, each file under its own free license: en-us-dazzling.ogg.
Cite this entry: “dazzling.” Word.ws, https://word.ws/dazzling. Based on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.