amusement

American  

[uh-myooz-muhnt] / əˈmjuz mənt /

noun

• amusements
  plural

1. anything that amuses or entertains; pastime.

   The park offers authentic Danish charm and an array of amusements and thrill rides.

   Synonyms:

   game

2. the act of amusing or entertaining; diversion.

   He invented indoor golf games for his own amusement, and for the amusement of his children.

3. the state of being amused; enjoyment.

   Mom couldn't hide her amusement when my little sister tried to make dinner.

   Synonyms:

   delight

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amusement British  

/ əˈmjuːzmənt /

noun

1. something that amuses, such as a game or other pastime

2. a mechanical device used for entertainment, as at a fair

3. the act of amusing or the state or quality of being amused

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Other Word Forms

Derived Forms

• self-amusement
  noun

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• amusements
  plural

Etymology

Origin of amusement

First recorded in 1595–1605; from Middle French; see origin at amuse, -ment

Explanation

Amusement is a feeling of being entertained and happy. Just think about how you feel when you visit an amusement park, and you will get the idea. When something amuses you, it makes you laugh, holds your attention, entertains you, or all three. An amusement is an activity that produces that type of feeling. Watching a basketball game and flying a kite are amusements. Also, doing something fun fills you with the emotion of amusement. To amuse is to entertain, and when you add the suffix -ment to the end of the verb, you get the noun or the feeling you gain from being amused.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

amusement amusements

The content is hardly ever related to investing or finance, friends say, to their amusement.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026

While experts played down the wider significance of the vote in a constituency that overwhelmingly backed Brexit a decade ago, the by-election has drawn international attention and amusement.

From Barron's ● Aug. 14, 2026

"When the weather gets good, the lake is closed. It's like having an amusement park and not opening it," he said.

From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026

He plans to reopen some closed stands and add hundreds of outlets, expanding to locations beyond malls, such as airports, stadiums, amusement parks and drive-thrus.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 22, 2026

They watch in amusement as we prepare for our race.

From "Blood on the River" by Elisa Carbone

In 1987, Mr. Birney’s Conor is a happy nerd, comfortably living alone in a small Baltimore house with a shelf of videotapes and other amusements.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 8, 2026

Much like its kiddie counterpart, Chuck’s Arcade offers a blend of retro and modern amusements — classics like Donkey Kong and Mortal Kombat sit alongside newer fare like Halo and Connect Four Hoops.

From Salon ● Jul. 3, 2025

"It's a very, very busy place with amusements, Water World, go-kart track, all the apartments and things on both sides of the road there," he said.

From BBC ● Apr. 11, 2025

In its 2022 annual report, the company said that 65 percent of its revenue came from games and amusements.

From Slate ● May 1, 2024

“Well, I like to hear about cricket and boating and hunting,” said Frank, who had not yet learned to suit his amusements to his strength.

From "Little Women" by Louisa May Alcott

Related Words

• delight
• diversion
• enjoyment
• hilarity
• laughter
• pleasure