massage

massage — verb

1. to press and move your hands over a person's skin and muscles in a repeated way,

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to press and move your hands over a person's skin and muscles in a repeated way, especially to help them relax or to reduce pain or stiffness in their body.

Example

After the long run, Sofia asked her partner to massage her sore legs.

direct object referring to a body part

The therapist gently massaged the baby's back to help her fall asleep.

therapeutic context with gentle pressure

Common collocations
  • massage + back/shoulders/neck/legs/feet
  • gently massage
  • deeply massage
  • massage in circles
  • massage with oil
Synonyms
  • rub

    more general; does not imply a therapeutic technique or deliberate pressure pattern

  • knead

    specifically pressing and squeezing like working dough; used more for deep muscle work

  • stroke

    moving the hand lightly across the surface; less pressure than massage

Grammar Patterns

massage + body part

massage + someone

Usage Note

Frequently used with a specific body part as the direct object (massage + back/shoulders/neck/legs). The person receiving the massage can also be the object (massage + someone), though specifying the body part is more common.

Common Mistakes

She massaged on his back.
She massaged his back.
When the body part is the object, no preposition is needed.
I massaged him the shoulders.
I massaged his shoulders.
Use a possessive determiner (his/her/their) before the body part, not an indirect object structure.

2. to adjust figures, facts, or other information in a dishonest way so that they s

2.verbtransitiveC1
Definition

to adjust figures, facts, or other information in a dishonest way so that they seem more favourable than the truth allows.

Example

The company was caught massaging its profit figures to attract investors.

collocation: massage figures / massage numbers

Politicians sometimes massage the unemployment data before a general election.

collocation: massage data

Common collocations
  • massage + figures/data/numbers/results/statistics
  • massage the truth
Synonyms
  • falsify

    stronger and more formal; implies deliberate and serious fraud

  • manipulate

    broader; can be neutral or negative; not limited to numerical data

  • doctor

    informal; similar meaning but often implies direct alteration of a document or recording

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

massage + figures/numbers/data/results

Usage Note

Always carries a negative, disapproving tone. Common in business and political contexts. The object is always an abstraction (figures, data, statistics, truth, results), never a person or physical thing.

Common Mistakes

He massaged the numbers to make them more accurate.
He massaged the numbers to make them look better.
This sense implies dishonesty, not an improvement in quality or accuracy.

massage — noun

Word family

  • masseur
    nounC1
  • masseuse
    nounC1
  • massage therapist
    nounB2
  • massager
    nounC2

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe touching the body with the hands, but they differ in technique and purpose. Rub is the most general term — you rub your eyes when tired, rub a sore spot, or rub lotion into skin; it does not imply a deliberate therapeutic technique. Knead specifically means pressing and squeezing deeply, like working dough, and is used for firm muscle work or deep-tissue massage. Stroke involves moving the hand lightly across the skin in one direction, usually to soothe or comfort rather than to treat muscle tension — you stroke a pet or stroke someone's hair. Press means to push down steadily on one spot without the repeated, gliding movements of massage. A massage session typically combines elements of all four: the therapist presses into tight areas, rubs in circles, kneads deeper layers, and strokes the skin to calm it.

rub ↗kneadstroke ↗press ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • have a massage
  • get a massage
  • give someone a massage
  • massage therapy
  • massage oil
  • massage therapist
  • deep-tissue massage
  • sports massage

Prepositions

Etymology

ArabicFrenchEnglish

The word entered English in the late 19th century from French 'massage', which was formed from the verb 'masser' (to massage) plus the noun suffix '-age'. The French verb 'masser' likely came from Arabic 'massa' (مَسَّ), meaning 'to touch, feel, or handle', though some scholars trace it to Greek 'massein' (μάσσειν), meaning 'to knead'. The figurative sense of manipulating figures or data dates from the early 20th century.