amuse

[ uh-myooz ]

/ əˈmyuz /

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verb (used with object), a·mused, a·mus·ing.

to hold the attention of (someone) pleasantly; entertain or divert in an enjoyable or cheerful manner: She amused the guests with witty conversation.

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

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

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

Obsolete.

to engross; absorb.
to puzzle; distract.

Nearby words

Origin of amuse

1470–80; < Middle French amuser “to divert, amuse”; see a-⁵, muse

SYNONYMS FOR amuse

1. please, charm, cheer.

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR amuse ON THESAURUS.COM

Related formsa·mus·a·ble, adjectivea·mus·er, nounun·a·mus·a·ble, adjectiveun·a·mus·a·bly, adverb

Synonym study

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.

Usage note

See bemuse.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for amuse

The purpose of art,” Bemelmans once said, “is to console and amuse—myself, and, I hope, others.
Madeline’s New York Moment: Ludwig Bemelmans’ Heroine Comes Home|Erin Cunningham|July 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
A purse can impress and intimidate, bewilder, berate, or amuse.
The Language of Margaret Thatcher’s Handbags|Robin Givhan|April 8, 2013|DAILY BEAST
The Embassy produced a short video in advance of the trip, which, in the spirit of our times, is meant to both inform and amuse.
Obama And Netanyahu As Bobbleheads|Emily L. Hauser|March 20, 2013|DAILY BEAST
His masters would then amuse themselves by pelting him with bones.
Persian Fire and Rubicon (Full)|David Frum|September 23, 2012|DAILY BEAST

Lear allows himself a chuckle—something he frequently does when discussing the things that both alarm and amuse him.
The Last Unreconstructed Liberal|Lloyd Grove|October 7, 2011|DAILY BEAST
This little fiction is to amuse the credulous, and would be 'important if true.'
Overland through Asia; Pictures of Siberian, Chinese, and Tartar Life|Thomas Wallace Knox
To amuse him, I sometimes said whatever came into my head, without the least ceremony, and often made him laugh heartily.
The Memoirs of the Louis XIV. and The Regency, Complete|Elizabeth-Charlotte, Duchesse d'Orleans
The author's object being to interest and amuse, it must be admitted that he has succeeded.
The Golden Galleon|Robert Leighton
But, of course, you've either got to amuse people or feed 'em or shock 'em.
Flappers and Philosophers|F. Scott Fitzgerald
For Mrs. Langton had begged him to do something to amuse the children. '
The Giant's Robe|F. Anstey

British Dictionary definitions for amuse

amuse

/ (əˈmjuːz) /

verb (tr)

to keep pleasantly occupied; entertain; divert

to cause to laugh or smile

Word Origin for amuse

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

Word Origin and History for amuse

amuse

late 15c., "to divert the attention, beguile, delude," from Middle French amuser "divert, cause to muse," from a "at, to" (but here probably a causal prefix) + muser "ponder, stare fixedly" (see muse (v.)). Sense of "divert from serious business, tickle the fancy of" is recorded from 1630s, but through 18c. the primary meaning was "deceive, cheat" by first occupying the attention. Bemuse retains more of the original meaning. Related: Amused; amusing.