ENGLISH
REFERENCE

massage

n. C / U
B1 Intermediate US //məˈsɑʒ// UK //mˈæsɑːʒ// mas·sage

n. the action of rubbing or pressing someone's body to help them relax or reduce pain in their muscles.

n. the manipulation of the body's soft tissues, typically using the hands, to promote relaxation or alleviate physical tension.


SIMPLE

A professional massage helps relieve the tension in my shoulders.

CONTEXTUAL

After finishing the marathon, she booked a deep-tissue massage to help her sore muscles recover more quickly.

COMPLEX

Therapeutic massage is frequently integrated into sports medicine programs to improve circulation and facilitate the repair of minor muscular strains sustained during high-intensity training.

Synonyms
Origin

From French massage (noun), from masser (“to massage”) (borrowed around the end of the 18th century from Arabic مَسَّ (massa, “feel, touch”), or from Portuguese amassar) + -age. Cognate to German massieren.

Usage

Countable when referring to a specific session; uncountable when referring to the practice or technique in general.

Pitfall

I gave a massage to my backI had a massage on my backLearners often use 'give' when they mean they received the treatment; use 'have' or 'get' for the recipient.

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