amuse

verb

ə-ˈmyüz How to pronounce amuse (audio)
amused; amusing
Synonyms of amuse

transitive verb

1
a
: to entertain or occupy in a light, playful, or pleasant manner
She tried to amuse the child with a story.
b
: to appeal to the sense of humor of
His jokes don't amuse me.
2
a
archaic : to divert the attention of so as to deceive
b
obsolete : to occupy the attention of : absorb
c
obsolete : distract, bewilder

intransitive verb

obsolete : muse
amuser noun

Synonyms of amuse

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amuse, divert, entertain mean to pass or cause to pass the time pleasantly.

amuse suggests that one's attention is engaged lightly.

amuse yourselves while I make dinner

divert implies distracting attention from worry or routine occupation especially by something funny.

a light comedy to divert the tired businessman

entertain suggests supplying amusement by specially contrived methods.

a magician entertaining children at a party

Examples of amuse in a Sentence

It amuses me to think of how he looked when I last saw him. a funny story that never fails to amuse He amused himself with a game of solitaire.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Horgan ended up incorporating some of those videos—AI slop of dogs blowing up houses with laser beam eyes, for instance—which amused Murphy. — Joy Press, Vanity Fair, 24 Aug. 2026 Students were especially amused that AI had John Singer, who acts as a hub connecting all the other characters, speaking on a variety of subjects. — Billy J. Stratton, The Conversation, 21 Aug. 2026 Greenbush, the tour guide, was amused by his neoclassically bare chest. — Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 20 Aug. 2026 Luk, an only child who grew up surrounded by cousins, was amused by the way relatives can inhabit incompatible versions of the same history. — Callum McLennan, Variety, 15 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for amuse

Word History

Etymology

Middle French amuser, from Old French, from a- (from Latin ad-) + muser to muse

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2a

Time Traveler
The first known use of amuse was in the 15th century

Phrases Containing amuse

Rhymes for amuse

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Browse Nearby Words

Amur tiger
amuse
amuse-bouche
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Cite this Entry

“Amuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/amuse. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

amuse

verb
ə-ˈmyüz How to pronounce amuse (audio)
amused; amusing
1
: to occupy with something pleasant
amuse a child with a toy
2
: to please the sense of humor of
the story amused everyone
amusedly
-ˈmyü-zəd-lē How to pronounce amuse (audio)
adverb
amusingly
-ˈmyü-ziŋ-lē
adverb
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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