amuse
Americanverb (used with object)
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amuses,
present (3rd person singular)
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amused,
past participle, past
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amusing
present participle
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to hold the attention of (someone) pleasantly; entertain or divert in an enjoyable or cheerful manner.
She amused the guests with witty conversation.
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to cause mirth, laughter, or the like, in.
The comedian amused the audience with a steady stream of jokes.
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to cause (time, leisure, etc.) to pass agreeably.
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Archaic. to keep in expectation by flattery, pretenses, etc.
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Obsolete.
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to engross; absorb.
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to puzzle; distract.
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verb
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to keep pleasantly occupied; entertain; divert
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to cause to laugh or smile
Commonly Confused
See bemuse.
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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amusesimple
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amusessimple
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have amusedperfect
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has amusedperfect
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am amusingprogressive
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are amusingprogressive
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is amusingprogressive
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have been amusingperfect progressive
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has been amusingperfect progressive
Past
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amusedsimple
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had amusedperfect
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was amusingprogressive
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were amusingprogressive
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had been amusingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of amuse
First recorded in 1470–80; from Middle French amuser “to divert”; equivalent to a- 5 + muse
Explanation
If you enjoy making people laugh, you like to amuse them, which is a good trait to have as long as you don't amuse people during a math test or other solemn occasion. The verb amuse also means to keep busy in a pleasant way. You might amuse yourself during a long driving trip by playing the alphabet game, where you try to find all the letters from A to Z on roadside signs. If you are a passenger on a plane, you could amuse yourself with a movie on your computer. Just don't get them mixed up and try to watch a movie when you are driving.
Vocabulary lists containing amuse
Commonly Confused Words, List 3
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Because of Winn-Dixie
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Commonly Confused Words, List 9
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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.
See Examples For:
"Kids can amuse themselves for a bit but you need to be hands on."
From BBC ● Jul. 25, 2026
“If Ford wants to amuse himself, all right,” rival auto maker Joseph J. Cole said on the Five-Dollar Day.
From Barron's ● May 20, 2026
Woe unto those who fail to entertain, animate or amuse.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 10, 2026
The temptation to amuse the audience led him to betray his duty to appraise the work of aspiring artists who tremblingly dared present themselves before His Nasty Majesty.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 9, 2026
Is it possible I’ve found the only two people in Lost Cove I amuse rather than disturb?
From "I'll Give You the Sun" by Jandy Nelson
My husband’s explosive commentary sometimes amuses me and sometimes wears me down.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 1, 2025
“It amuses me now to think that he was famous for these insane driving movies,” his niece Judith Newman said on Facebook.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 5, 2023
Even when she overworks some crass jokes, Plaza amuses.
From Salon ● Mar. 3, 2023
Quigley, who auditioned for a job at Medieval Times after struggling to make a smooth transition between London’s West End and New York’s theater scene, also amuses himself by assuming various accents.
From New York Times ● Jul. 15, 2022
“If that amuses you, Kate,” said Mr. Benedict, “you might also enjoy some of her test answers. Let me see, I believe I have them right here.”
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
"We can't even fill the coffee cups to the brim or they spill," his son Linus, 19, added with an air of amused exasperation.
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
But if the movie were a person, he’d be vaguely amused.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
And last year, four decades after first documenting life in Lacock, he again turned his flat but amused and sympathetic eye on the picturesque village to capture the smallest details of everyday life.
From BBC ● Jun. 28, 2026
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander apparently isn’t amused by a new board game that pokes fun at the Oklahoma City Thunder star’s reputation for garnering foul calls at the hint of contact by an opposing player.
From Los Angeles Times ● May 29, 2026
One of those curious, amused expressions crossed his face, but he accepted them without comment, and returned a minute later with both our cups wearing wool.
From "Bye Forever, I Guess" by Jodi Meadows
But my gaydar was also going off big-time around Dorothy and Marshall, news they found amusing when I told them recently.
From Salon ● Jul. 27, 2026
The Norway supporters also provided an amusing moment during the quarter-final with England.
From BBC ● Jul. 20, 2026
If someone’s doing a pretty good impression of you, I think that’s kind of amusing, but he didn’t know who I was.
From Slate ● Jul. 12, 2026
Each individual set piece is its own jewel of craftsmanship, usually combining the revolting with the amusing.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 4, 2026
Rowan found it amusing how Citra gave the scythe attitude—but it worked.
From "Scythe" by Neal Shusterman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
