Amuse, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Amused; p. pr. & vb. n. Amusing.]
Etymology: [F. amuser to make stay, to detain, to amuse, ad) + OF. muser. See Muse, v.]
1. To occupy or engage the attention of; to lose in deep thought; to absorb; also, to distract; to bewilder. [Obs.] Camillus set upon the Gauls when they were amused in receiving their gold. Holland. Being amused with grief, fear, and fright, he could not find the house. Fuller.
2. To entertain or occupy in a pleasant manner; to stir with pleasing or mirthful emotions; to divert. A group children amusing themselves with pushing stones from the top [of the cliff], and watching as they plunged into the lake. Gilpin.
3. To keep in extraction; to beguile; to delude. He amused his followers with idle promises. Johnson.
Syn. -- To entertain; gratify; please; divert; beguile; deceive; occupy. -- To Amuse, Divert, Entertain. We are amused by that which occupies us lightly and pleasantly. We are entertained by that which brings our minds into agreeable contact with others, as conversation, or a book. We are diverted by that which turns off our thoughts to something of livelier interest, especially of a sportive nature, as a humorous story, or a laughable incident. Whatever amuses serves to kill time, to lull the faculties, and to banish reflection. Whatever entertains usually a wakens the understanding or gratifies the fancy. Whatever diverts is lively in its nature, and sometimes tumultuous in its effects. Crabb.
1 other Webster entry under this spelling
Amuse, v. i.
To muse; to mediate. [Obs.]
Shades of meaning
Fernald has no entry of its own for amuse; he lists it under entertain.
Where he writes about it:
To entertain, in the sense here considered, is to engage and pleasantly occupy the attention; to amuse is to occupy the attention in an especially bright and cheerful way, often with that which excites merriment or laughter; as, he entertained us with an amusing story. — from entertain
We beguile a weary hour, cheer the despondent, divert the preoccupied, enliven a dull evening or company, gratify our friends' wishes, entertain, interest, please a listening audience, occupy idle time, disport ourselves when merry, recreate when worn with toil; we amuse ourselves or others with whatever pleasantly passes the time without special exertion, each according to his taste. — from entertain