Definition of AMUSES

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

Bradley’s signature, warm, amuse bouche gougère, with sea salt and sherry crémeux, is meant to be eaten in a single bite. — Michele Parente, San Diego Union-Tribune, "1 Michelin star, 10 courses and tons of buzz: revisiting Addison," 25 July 2019 Toshifumi Okuya, a system engineer, was amused to see adults having fun. — Jae C. Hong, Cincinnati.com, "Even poop is cute at Japanese museum that encourages play," 10 July 2019 Two-time presidential candidate and billionaire tycoon Ross Perot, who died Tuesday at the age of 89 after a five-month battle with leukemia, was amused when comedian Dana Carvey poked fun at him on the long-running NBC show. — Allen Kim, CNN, "Ross Perot loved it when Dana Carvey made fun of him on 'SNL'," 10 July 2019 Two men driving in Kansas this week were amused, and partly frightened, when a snake appeared on the edge of the open passenger-side window and slowly crept up to the windshield. — Fox News, "Snake slithering on moving truck is no match for windshield wipers, video shows," 27 June 2019 Adam Riess at the Space Telescope Science Institute, who shared the 2011 Nobel Prize in physics for the discovery of dark energy, is alternately amazed and amused by the latest turn of events. — Corey S. Powell, Discover Magazine, "Why We Still Don't Know How Fast the Universe is Expanding," 1 Jan. 2019 The people in the video aren't too amused by her antics, which makes the clip even funnier. — Glamour, "Emilia Clarke Hilariously Dressed Up as Jon Snow for Charity, and It's Perfection," 27 Apr. 2019 Ambitious readers can amuse themselves by calculating the answers for higher numbers of grills such as nine. — Quanta Magazine, "The Prime Rib Problem," 14 Aug. 2017 The seating arrangement amused Oscar viewers on Twitter, especially fans shipping an imaginary romance between Cooper and Gaga. — Erica Gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Irina Shayk Sat Between Bradley Cooper and Lady Gaga at the Oscars and the Internet Is Dying," 25 Feb. 2019

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.