amuse

[ uh-myooz ]
See synonyms for amuse on Thesaurus.com
verb (used with object),a·mused, a·mus·ing.
  1. to hold the attention of (someone) pleasantly; entertain or divert in an enjoyable or cheerful manner: She amused the guests with witty conversation.

  2. to cause mirth, laughter, or the like, in: The comedian amused the audience with a steady stream of jokes.

  1. to cause (time, leisure, etc.) to pass agreeably.

  2. Archaic. to keep in expectation by flattery, pretenses, etc.

  3. Obsolete.

    • to engross; absorb.

    • to puzzle; distract.

Origin of amuse

1
First recorded in 1470–80; from Middle French amuser “to divert”; equivalent to a-5 + muse

synonym study For amuse

Amuse, divert, entertain mean to occupy the attention with something pleasant. That which amuses is usually playful or humorous and pleases the fancy. Divert implies turning the attention from serious thoughts or pursuits to something light, amusing, or lively. That which entertains usually does so because of a plan or program that engages and holds the attention by being pleasing and sometimes instructive.

confusables note For amuse

See bemuse.

Other words for amuse

Other words from amuse

  • a·mus·a·ble, adjective
  • a·mus·er, noun
  • un·a·mus·a·ble, adjective
  • un·a·mus·a·bly, adverb

Words Nearby amuse

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use amuse in a sentence

  • It did not amuse me, nor, so far as I could discern, was Monsieur de Tressan greatly taken with it.

    St. Martin's Summer | Rafael Sabatini
  • You think that if a man's charming, that's the end of him, and that all he's good for is to amuse a few old ladies at a tea party.

    First Plays | A. A. Milne
  • When he was in a good humour he used to amuse himself by saying, 'It's the first time a pipe has changed into a shoe.'

    Honey-Bee | Anatole France
  • It is a big world she sees, big enough and beautiful enough to amuse a little girl for some while.

  • You, who love to amuse yourself in all depths, will you not make an excursion into the depths of Edgar Poe?

    Charles Baudelaire, His Life | Thophile Gautier

British Dictionary definitions for amuse

amuse

/ (əˈmjuːz) /


verb(tr)
  1. to keep pleasantly occupied; entertain; divert

  2. to cause to laugh or smile

Origin of amuse

1
C15: from Old French amuser to cause to be idle, from muser to muse 1

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012