amuse
Americanverb (used with object)
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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.
Related Words
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
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.
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
A steal at $28 for three courses, diners saddle up to the counter, reminiscent of a chef’s table, for a French and Japanese-inspired amuse bouche with a main dessert, followed by petit fours.
From Salon • Jul. 13, 2025
The area also symbolizes an inevitable truth about London: Without the thronging masses of tourists, and the attractions designed to amuse them, the city might disintegrate completely.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2025
In a year of exuberance and dread, songs came from every which way to comfort, to amuse, to haunt, to tantalize.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 10, 2024
He drew little pictures, and once he made a sketch of his friend to amuse him.
From "The Heart is a Lonely Hunter" by Carson McCullers
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.
