amused

American

[uh-myoozd] / əˈmyuzd /

adjective

pleasurably entertained, occupied, or diverted.
displaying amusement.

an amused expression on her face.
aroused to mirth.

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of amused

First recorded in 1590–1600; amuse + -ed ² ( def. )

Compare meaning

How does amused compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

bemused vs. amused

Explanation

The word amused means "pleasantly occupied" or "entertained.” If you love dogs, you’ll be amused just watching puppies frolic in the park all day. If you love everything, you’re easily amused. Amuse comes from the Middle French word amuser, meaning "to divert the attention, beguile, delude." If on a boring rainy afternoon, you amused everyone, you entertained everyone, probably making them laugh. If you were ever told, "I'm not amused," however, this goes beyond not finding something funny — that person might be angry and offended at something you said or did.

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Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

After a brief reprieve following the end of Coachella, we find ourselves in the desert again for Stagecoach — hot, dusty and eager to be amused.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 25, 2026

Abbasi appeared to be amused by this and said: "I will take some photos from there."

From BBC • Apr. 15, 2026

She is amused by the memes and viral videos, particularly one in which a man yells, “Harfuch! Have a baby with my wife and I’ll raise him.”

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026

Everyone laughed, but Kidner, now 66, wasn’t amused.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 23, 2026

If this was about cleaning fish, I wasn’t going to be amused.

From "The Line Tender" by Kate Allen

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023