as in to entertain
to cause (someone) to pass the time agreeably occupied
the older girl amused her four-year-old sister at the family reunion by showing her off to all the relatives
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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.
Recent Examples of amuse
Hodge was amused that Yamasaki was prone to seasickness.
—
Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
The fun of this drink starts, of course, with the name, which weighs in at 11 words (and one punctuation mark) and with which people tend to be both amused and bemused.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2026
In December, the two sat down in Exactly Right’s Burbank headquarters — a setting that still amuses them both.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
But he was definitely amused by the reaction.
—Wisdom Iheanyichukwu, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amuse
Hannah Goldfield, New Yorker, 19 Jan. 2026
The fun of this drink starts, of course, with the name, which weighs in at 11 words (and one punctuation mark) and with which people tend to be both amused and bemused.
—Jason O'Bryan, Robb Report, 17 Jan. 2026
In December, the two sat down in Exactly Right’s Burbank headquarters — a setting that still amuses them both.
—Mikey O'Connell, HollywoodReporter, 15 Jan. 2026
But he was definitely amused by the reaction.
—Wisdom Iheanyichukwu, Vanity Fair, 12 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for amuse
Recent Examples of Synonyms for amuse
Verb
-
View Outside’s longstanding literary storytelling tradition comes to life in audio with features that will both entertain and inform listeners.—
Outside Online,
Outside Online,
11 Feb. 2026
-
The material contained on this site is intended to inform, entertain and educate the reader and in no way represents an inducement to gamble legally or illegally or any sort of professional advice.—
Ray Padilla,
Louisville Courier Journal,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Ninny regales Evelyn with tales of Idgi, her sister-in-law and friend who used to run the Whistle Stop Cafe, a restaurant on the outskirts of Birmingham, Alabama, that served good coffee, better barbecue, and great gossip.—
Amanda Favazza,
Southern Living,
6 Feb. 2026
-
Ricky also visited Sydney a few weeks ago, and decided to regale us with all of his strangest koala facts.—
Popular Science Team,
Popular Science,
28 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Amuse.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/amuse. Accessed 14 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
