Word
Definitions
01physical therapy
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun Medicine
n. the action of rubbing or pressing a person's muscles to help them relax or to stop pain.
n. the systematic manipulation of the soft tissues of the body, typically used for relaxation or therapeutic purposes.
“After the long hike, a shoulder massage helped my sore muscles feel much better.”
“The therapist recommended a deep-tissue massage to alleviate the chronic tension that had built up in the patient's lower back.”
Synonyms
02to rub the body
B1 · Intermediate
v. to rub or press someone's body to help them relax.
v. to perform a massage on a person or a specific part of the body. Transitive, taking a direct object.
“She gently massaged her temples to try and get rid of her headache.”
“The trainer massaged the athlete's calves before the race to ensure the muscles were sufficiently warmed up and flexible.”
Synonyms
03to manipulate data
C1 · Advanced Informal
v. to change facts or numbers slightly so they look better or more useful than they really are.
v. to manipulate or adjust statistics, figures, or data, often to present a more favourable or convenient impression.
“The company was accused of massaging the sales figures to impress their investors.”
“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'.
Teaching tip
This sense often carries a negative connotation of dishonesty or 'fudging' the truth.
Synonyms
Etymology
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Related words
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · Intermediate
- Updated
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「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
‘외래어’ data: 한국어기초사전 (국립국어원), CC BY-SA 2.0 KR