amuse

verb

\ ə-ˈmyüz

amused; amusing

Definition of amuse

transitive verb

1a : to entertain or occupy in a light, playful, or pleasant manner She tried to amuse the child with a story.

b : to appeal to the sense of humor of His jokes don't amuse me.

2a archaic : to divert the attention of so as to deceive

b obsolete : to occupy the attention of : absorb

c obsolete : distract, bewilder

intransitive verb

obsolete : muse

Other Words from amuse Synonyms Choose the Right Synonym Are amused and bemused synonyms? More Example Sentences Learn More about amuse

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Choose the Right Synonym for amuse

amuse, divert, entertain mean to pass or cause to pass the time pleasantly. amuse suggests that one's attention is engaged lightly. amuse yourselves while I make dinner divert implies distracting attention from worry or routine occupation especially by something funny. a light comedy to divert the tired businessman entertain suggests supplying amusement by specially contrived methods. a magician entertaining children at a party

amuse and entertain mean to cause the time to pass in an agreeable way. amuse is used for holding someone's interest with something that is pleasant or humorous. The toy amused the child for hours. entertain is used when something special is done to provide a person with amusement. Celebrities put on a show to entertain the troops.

Are amused and bemused synonyms?

Many people link bemused with amused, believing that the former word carries the meaning “amused, with a touch of something else.” While this was not its original sense, bemused has been used in such a fashion for long enough, and by enough people, that the meaning “having feelings of wry amusement especially from something that is surprising or perplexing" has become established. You may use bemuse in this fashion if you wish, but bear in mind that some people find it objectionable, insisting that bemused and amused are entirely distinct and that bemused properly means “marked by confusion or bewilderment.” It is worth noting that before bemused indicated confusion it had the meaning (especially among poets) “devoted to the Muses.”

Examples of amuse in a Sentence

It amuses me to think of how he looked when I last saw him. a funny story that never fails to amuse He amused himself with a game of solitaire.

Recent Examples on the Web

The wave in question comes by way of soft, thick rope, stretching from wing to wing, that easily amuses its audience as Messrs. Eden and Williams snap it offstage, causing ripples to occur with teasing timing. — Robert Greskovic, WSJ, "Momix Partners Dance With Illusion," 30 July 2018 At the time, the clandestine confession amused the tech entrepreneur, one of two Democrats to be elected to the county’s highest executive board for the first time in four decades. — Vinny Vella, Philly.com, "Delaware County Democrats, the first elected in 40 years, find acceptance, some tension in months since historic win," 19 June 2018 Add a deck of cards, books, some games or other things that could amuse children in a shelter or hotel room. — Washington Post, "What goes into a go-bag? How to prepare an emergency kit," 12 June 2018 In one skit, characters played by him and Chris Rock were consistently amused by their white friends’ election-night astonishment that Trump won. — Chris Kaltenbach, baltimoresun.com, "Comedian Dave Chappelle coming to Lyric," 22 May 2018 Not all were as amused by the gift, and suggested Putin could be using it for sinister motives. — Alex Pappas, Fox News, "Putin gives Trump a World Cup soccer ball, tells him 'now the ball is in your court'," 16 July 2018 Plenty of people have had their say on the incident on Twitter, with some condemning the actions of the group of fans while others were amused by their antics. — SI.com, "England Fans Descend on IKEA Store After England Knock Sweden Out of World Cup," 8 July 2018 In the fall and spring, the nights buzz with live entertainment outside while restaurants amuse inside with the bull at Saddle Ranch steak house, dueling pianos at the Shout House or the life-is-good vibe at Margaritaville. — Sonja Haller, azcentral, "Ultimate Arizona bucket list: 15 things to do in Glendale," 18 Feb. 2015 UL-Lafayette coach Bob Marlin wasn't amused and the officiating crew had to stay between the teams. — Ron Higgins, NOLA.com, "LSU's Duop Reath sparks NIT win over UL-Lafayette," 14 Mar. 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'amuse.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.