amused
Also found in: Thesaurus, Idioms.
a·muse
(ə-myo͞oz′)tr.v. a·mused, a·mus·ing, a·mus·es
1. To hold the attention of or occupy in an agreeable fashion: amused myself with a puzzle.
2. To cause to laugh or smile by being funny: amused the crowd with jokes.
3. Archaic To delude or deceive.
[From Middle French amuser, from Old French, to fill with vain hopes, deceive : a-, to (from Latin ad-; see ad-) + muser, to stare stupidly; see muse.]
a·mus′a·ble adj.
a·mus′er n.
Synonyms: amuse, entertain, divert, regale
These verbs refer to activities that provide pleasure or enjoyment. Amuse can suggest the idle pleasure derived from a pastime: I amused myself with a game of solitaire. It can also suggest the enjoyment of something humorous or laughable: The antics of the little dog amused the children. Entertain often implies a pleasure actively pursued by the imagination or through play: entertained herself with thoughts of what the weekend would bring; children entertaining themselves with games and puppets. It also refers to the enjoyment derived from artistic performance: has been entertaining audiences with his stories and music for many years. Divert implies distraction from worry, boredom, or low spirits: "I had neither Friends or Books to divert me" (Richard Steele).
To regale is to entertain with something that causes great mirth: "He loved to regale his friends with tales about the many memorable characters he had known as a newspaperman" (David Rosenzweig).
These verbs refer to activities that provide pleasure or enjoyment. Amuse can suggest the idle pleasure derived from a pastime: I amused myself with a game of solitaire. It can also suggest the enjoyment of something humorous or laughable: The antics of the little dog amused the children. Entertain often implies a pleasure actively pursued by the imagination or through play: entertained herself with thoughts of what the weekend would bring; children entertaining themselves with games and puppets. It also refers to the enjoyment derived from artistic performance: has been entertaining audiences with his stories and music for many years. Divert implies distraction from worry, boredom, or low spirits: "I had neither Friends or Books to divert me" (Richard Steele).
To regale is to entertain with something that causes great mirth: "He loved to regale his friends with tales about the many memorable characters he had known as a newspaperman" (David Rosenzweig).
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
amused
(əˈmjuːzd)adj
1. believing something to have a humorous quality
2. pleasantly occupied: Archie kept us amused with his stories..
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
Adj. | 1. | amused - pleasantly occupied; "We are not amused" -Queen Victoria pleased - experiencing or manifesting pleasure |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
amused
noun entertained, interested, involved, occupied, engaged, absorbed, diverted, beguiled, engrossed She was not amused by his teasing.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
Translations
amused
[əˈmjuːzd] adj (finding something funny) → amusé(e)
He was not amused → Il n'a pas apprécié.
to be amused by sth, to be amused at sth → être amusé(e) par qch
He was most amused by the story
BUT L'histoire l'a beaucoup amusé.
to be amused to see that ... → être amusé(e) de voir que ...
He was not amused → Il n'a pas apprécié.
to be amused by sth, to be amused at sth → être amusé(e) par qch
He was most amused by the story
BUT L'histoire l'a beaucoup amusé.
to be amused to see that ... → être amusé(e) de voir que ...
(= entertained, occupied) to keep sb amused → distraire qn
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
amused
adj person, look, smile, attitude → amüsiert; she seemed amused at my suggestion → sie schien über meinen Vorschlag amüsiert (zu sein); I was amused to see/hear that … → es hat mich amüsiert zu sehen/hören, dass …; the teacher shouldn’t appear to be amused by the pupils’ mistakes → der Lehrer sollte es sich nicht anmerken lassen, dass ihn die Fehler der Schüler amüsieren; to keep somebody amused → jdn unterhalten, jdm die Zeit vertreiben; give him his toys, that’ll keep him amused → gib ihm sein Spielzeug, dann ist er friedlich; to keep oneself amused → sich (dat) → die Zeit vertreiben; he was anything but amused to find the door locked → er fand es keineswegs or durchaus nicht komisch, dass die Tür verschlossen war; we are not amused (hum) → das ist nicht besonders komisch; I am not amused (hum) → ich finde das nicht lustig
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007