What does "massage" mean?

1. (physical therapy) the action of rubbing or pressing a person's muscles to help them relax or to stop pain. 2. (to rub the body) to rub or press someone's body to help them relax. 3. (to manipulate data) to change facts or numbers slightly so they look better or more useful than they really are.

How do you use "massage"?

Often used with objects like 'figures', 'numbers', or 'data'.

massage

n. · v.

US //məˈsɑʒ// UK //mˈæsɑːʒ// mas·sage

1 physical therapy (n.)
B1 Intermediate Medicine

the action of rubbing or pressing a person's muscles to help them relax or to stop pain.

the systematic manipulation of the soft tissues of the body, typically used for relaxation or therapeutic purposes.

Example

After the long hike, a shoulder massage helped my sore muscles feel much better.

Example

The therapist recommended a deep-tissue massage to alleviate the chronic tension that had built up in the patient's lower back.
- rubdown
- kneading
2 to rub the body (v.)
B1 Intermediate

to rub or press someone's body to help them relax.

to perform a massage on a person or a specific part of the body. Transitive, taking a direct object.

Example

She gently massaged her temples to try and get rid of her headache.

Example

The trainer massaged the athlete's calves before the race to ensure the muscles were sufficiently warmed up and flexible.
- knead
- rub

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3 to manipulate data (v.)
C1 Advanced Informal

to change facts or numbers slightly so they look better or more useful than they really are.

to manipulate or adjust statistics, figures, or data, often to present a more favourable or convenient impression.

Example

The company was accused of massaging the sales figures to impress their investors.

Example

The department was criticised for massaging the employment data to make the new policy appear more successful than it actually was.

Usage

Often used with objects like 'figures', 'numbers', or 'data'.

Teacher's tip

This sense often carries a negative connotation of dishonesty or 'fudging' the truth.

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.