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Amusing

UK /["/əˈmjuːzɪŋ/"]/US /["/əˈmjuːzɪŋ/"]/

Definition

funny and giving pleasure

In simple words: Fun or funny; able to make people laugh.

Examples

  • an amusing story/game/incident
  • She writes very amusing letters.
  • I didn't find the joke at all amusing.
  • She told us about an amusing incident that happened on her way home.

Usage notes

Use 'amusing' when something entertains you or provides humor. It's appropriate in both casual and formal contexts, but may sound slightly more sophisticated than simply saying something is 'funny'.

Grammar pattern

amusing + object

Memory hint

Think of 'a-muse-ing' as a way to inspire laughter.

Collocations

  • be
  • sound
  • find something
  • extremely
  • fairly
  • very
  • not remotely amusing
  • nothing remotely amusing

Synonyms

  • funny
  • entertaining
  • hilarious
  • jovial
  • witty

Antonyms

  • boring
  • dull
  • uninteresting

Common mistakes

  • Confused with 'amused' - 'amused' means you are entertained; 'amusing' means something is entertaining.
  • Using 'amusing' with a noun directly—remember to use it with a verb or another context.
  • Believing it's only for comedy—can be used for any entertaining situation.