amuse

amuse — verb

1. to cause someone to smile or laugh, usually because something is funny, witty, o

1.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to cause someone to smile or laugh, usually because something is funny, witty, or unexpected.

Example

Viraj's silly impression of the cat amused everyone at the dinner table.

amuse + somebody for causing laughter

Xander told a joke about his old car that amused the whole class.

Common collocations
  • greatly amuse
  • secretly amuse
  • be amused by
  • not amused
Synonyms
  • entertain

    broader; can mean perform for an audience as well as cause laughter

  • tickle

    informal; suggests gentle, private amusement

  • crack up

    very informal; means to make someone laugh suddenly and loudly

Antonyms
  • bore

    to make someone feel tired and uninterested

  • annoy

    to cause irritation rather than laughter

Grammar Patterns

amuse + somebody

be amused by + something

Usage Note

Frequently passive: 'be/get amused by/at something'. The negative phrase 'not amused' often signals polite anger rather than simple lack of laughter.

Common Mistakes

The joke amused.
The joke amused us.
'amuse' needs a direct object naming the person who laughs.
I am amusing with this book.
I am amused by this book.
the person feeling it uses 'amused'; the thing causing it uses 'amusing'.

2. to give someone pleasant things to do so that they do not get bored, usually jus

2.verbtransitiveB1
Definition

to give someone pleasant things to do so that they do not get bored, usually just for a brief while.

Example

Citlali brought crayons and paper to amuse the children during the long flight.

amuse + somebody for keeping them occupied

The hotel offers board games and puzzles to amuse guests on rainy afternoons.

Common collocations
  • amuse the children
  • amuse oneself
  • amuse the guests
  • keep someone amused
Synonyms
  • occupy

    neutral; focuses on filling time without the pleasant nuance

  • entertain

    broader; can mean a planned show or simply keeping someone busy

  • divert

    more formal; suggests turning attention from something dull

Antonyms
  • bore

    to leave someone with nothing interesting to do

Grammar Patterns

amuse + somebody

amuse oneself + by/with + -ing

Usage Note

Distinguish from sense 1: this sense is about filling time pleasantly, not about causing laughter. The reflexive form 'amuse oneself' is very common here but unusual in sense 1.

Common Mistakes

The kids amused at the park.
The kids amused themselves at the park.
when no one else is entertaining them, use the reflexive 'amuse oneself'.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: verb/1

All four words describe giving someone pleasure, but the way they do it differs. 'Amuse' is the everyday word for causing a smile or laugh through something funny or unexpected — a child's joke amuses a parent. 'Entertain' is broader: it covers laughter but also performances, parties, and hosting guests, so a band entertains a crowd while a comedian also amuses them. 'Tickle' is informal and suggests private, gentle amusement, often about something clever — 'that pun really tickled me'. 'Divert' is more formal and slightly old-fashioned; it implies turning attention away from something dull or worrying, as in 'a good book diverted her during the long wait'.

amuse ↗entertain ↗tickle ↗divert ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Adverbs

Phrases

  • be amused by
  • not amused
  • keep someone amused
  • amuse oneself

Prepositions

  • amused by
  • amused at
  • amused with

Etymology

Old FrenchMiddle FrenchEnglish

Borrowed into English in the late 1400s from Old French 'amuser', meaning 'to cause to muse, stare, or be distracted'. The word is built from 'a-' ('to, at') and 'muser' ('to stare, ponder'). Early English uses meant 'to deceive or distract by holding the attention', and only in the 1600s did it shift to today's lighter sense of giving pleasure or making someone laugh.