amuse
verb (used with object)
to hold the attention of (someone) pleasantly; entertain or divert in an enjoyable or cheerful manner.
have amused
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present perfectof amuse.present perfect
Used to describe actions that started in the past and continue into or have direct relevance to the present.
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.
As sociologist Neil Postman famously warned in the title of his best-known work, the American people have "amused themselves to death" through a culture of anti-intellectualism, and the superficial, immediate gratification of mass media.
From Salon ● Mar. 25, 2022
But none have amused me more than this: My friends keep calling me for medical advice.
From Slate ● Apr. 24, 2020
Undoubtedly the posthumous conspiracy theories would have amused him as much as anybody.
From Washington Post ● Aug. 27, 2018
She knew Gray and Holmes when both were engaged to other women, and it seems to have amused her to make them feel awkward.
From The New Yorker ● Jul. 21, 2016
Its buffoonish hooey and end-of-the-pier music may have amused its creative team and some critics, but with the benefit of hindsight its timing seems tasteless and incomprehensible.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
