amusing

[uh-myoo-zing] /əˈmyu zɪŋ/
adjective
1.
pleasantly entertaining or diverting:
an amusing speaker.
2.
causing laughter or mirth; humorously entertaining:
an amusing joke.
Origin
1590-1600; amuse + -ing2
Related forms
amusingly, adverb
amusingness, noun
quasi-amusing, adjective
quasi-amusingly, adverb
unamusing, adjective
unamusingly, adverb
unamusingness, noun
Synonyms
1. charming, cheering, lively. 2. laughable, delightful, funny. Amusing, comical, droll describe that which causes mirth. That which is amusing is quietly humorous or funny in a gentle, good-humored way: The baby's attempts to talk were amusing. That which is comical causes laughter by being incongruous, witty, or ludicrous: His huge shoes made the clown look comical. Droll adds to comical the idea of strange or peculiar, and sometimes that of sly or waggish humor: the droll antics of a kitten; a droll imitation.

amuse

[uh-myooz] /əˈmyuz/
verb (used with object), amused, amusing.
1.
to hold the attention of (someone) pleasantly; entertain or divert in an enjoyable or cheerful manner:
She amused the guests with witty conversation.
2.
to cause mirth, laughter, or the like, in:
The comedian amused the audience with a steady stream of jokes.
3.
to cause (time, leisure, etc.) to pass agreeably.
4.
Archaic. to keep in expectation by flattery, pretenses, etc.
5.
Obsolete.
  1. to engross; absorb.
  2. to puzzle; distract.
Origin
1470-80; < Middle French amuser to divert, amuse; see a-5, muse
Related forms
amusable, adjective
amuser, noun
unamusable, adjective
unamusably, adverb
Can be confused
amuse, bemuse (see synonym study at the current entry)
Synonyms
1. please, charm, cheer. Amuse, divert, entertain mean to occupy the attention with something pleasant. That which amuses is usually playful or humorous and pleases the fancy. Divert implies turning the attention from serious thoughts or pursuits to something light, amusing, or lively. That which entertains usually does so because of a plan or program that engages and holds the attention by being pleasing and sometimes instructive.
Examples from the web for amusing
  • Sad, certainly, that they think this kind of gesture is amusing or funny.
  • Anonymously texting your friends and colleagues with vulgar messages is quite amusing.
  • From first to last, this amusing pretension has garnished his public oratory, and the responses of fluent sycophants.
  • Higher education's odd characters and amusing nooks.
  • Looking back, the whole situation was pretty amusing.
  • Microscopists have always delighted in the surprising, amusing and often profoundly beautiful scenes under their lenses.
  • Multiple versions of scenarios were formulated, a few too anodyne to be amusing and some too disgusting for words.
  • The myth that private is somehow a more efficient social organization than public is amusing.
  • Yet the discrepancy between her inner life and her actions is often amusing.
  • But to see the flag walking, with ten feet sticking out underneath, was mildly amusing.
British Dictionary definitions for amusing

amusing

/əˈmjuːzɪŋ/
adjective
1.
mildly entertaining; pleasantly diverting; causing a smile or laugh
Derived Forms
amusingly, adverb

amuse

/əˈmjuːz/
verb (transitive)
1.
to keep pleasantly occupied; entertain; divert
2.
to cause to laugh or smile
Word Origin
C15: from Old French amuser to cause to be idle, from muser to muse1
Word Origin and History for amusing
adj.

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

v.

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.