faze
UK[feɪz]US[feɪz]
v
To disturb or disconcert someone; to cause them to feel unsettled or embarrassed.
Etymology
The word 'faze' originates from the Middle English 'fesen', meaning to drive away or frighten. This term is believed to have descended from the Old English 'fēsian', which carried a similar sense of driving off. Its ultimate origin is likely the Proto-Germanic verbal root 'fausijaną', related to the idea of sending away or rejecting. Over centuries, the meaning softened from a physical act of driving away to the modern psychological sense of causing mild discomposure or perturbation, losing its initial 'ee' spelling in the process.
Analysis
This word is a simplex form. It is a variant of the now-obsolete English verb 'feeze', which meant to drive away, frighten, or put into a state of alarm.
Examples
The intense pressure of the final match did not faze the experienced player.
She was not fazed by the unexpected questions during the interview.
Very little can faze him; he remains calm in almost every situation.