amusing
- pleasantly entertaining or diverting: an amusing speaker.
- causing laughter or mirth; humorously entertaining: an amusing joke.
Origin of amusing
Synonyms for amusing
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amuse
- 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.
Origin of amuse
Synonyms for amuse
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Usage note
Related Words for amusing
enjoyable, gratifying, diverting, humorous, interesting, charming, engaging, delightful, lively, fun, droll, entertaining, pleasing, pleasant, comical, campy, camp, cheering, enchanting, joshingExamples from the Web for amusing
Contemporary Examples of amusing
But his ranking Democratic member just told an amusing story about Issa.
He's polite and amusing, inventing comic voices to deceive friends.
A comedy titan who was always the center of attention, amusing even the most hardened of cynics with his manic energy.
But for every amusing World Cup story like this one, there seems to be at least one that infuriates.
Less than a month later, Christie got the least amusing news of his career.
Historical Examples of amusing
The husband in my case was to be an inconvenience, but doubtless an amusing one.
The SpendersHarry Leon Wilson
It is amusing to read Tarleton's pompous account of this pursuit.
A Sketch of the Life of Brig. Gen. Francis MarionWilliam Dobein James
The girl was amusing enough, and, indeed, a most likable person at her best.
Within the LawMarvin Dana
I felt as if I were amusing a nice boy; he hardly came to my shoulder.
The Bacillus of BeautyHarriet Stark
And now I have told you almost all that is amusing or instructive in the childhood of Christina.
Biographical StoriesNathaniel Hawthorne
amusing
- mildly entertaining; pleasantly diverting; causing a smile or laugh
amuse
- to keep pleasantly occupied; entertain; divert
- to cause to laugh or smile
Word Origin for amuse
Word Origin and History for amusing
c.1600, "cheating;" present participle adjective from amuse (v.). Sense of "interesting" is from 1712; that of "pleasantly entertaining, tickling to the fancy" is from 1826. Noted late 1920s as a vogue word. Amusive has been tried in all senses since 18c. and might be useful, but it never caught on. Related: Amusingly.
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.