amusing

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.

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Amusing is always a great word to know.

So is callithumpian. Does it mean:

a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.

a children's mummer's parade, as on the Fourth of July, with prizes for the best costumes.

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Dictionary.com Unabridged

verb (used with object), a·mused, a·mus·ing.

to hold the attention of (someone) pleasantly; entertain or divert in an enjoyable or cheerful manner: She amused the guests with witty conversation.

to cause mirth, laughter, or the like, in: The comedian amused the audience with a steady stream of jokes.

to cause (time, leisure, etc.) to pass agreeably.

Archaic. to keep in expectation by flattery, pretenses, etc.

Obsolete.

to engross; absorb.

to puzzle; distract.

Origin:
1470–80; < Middle French amuser to divert, amuse; see a-⁵, muse

Related forms

a·mus·a·ble, adjective

a·mus·er, noun

un·a·mus·a·ble, adjective

un·a·mus·a·b·ly, 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.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2013.
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Link To amusing

Collins

World English Dictionary

amuse (əˈmjuːz)

—vb
1.	to keep pleasantly occupied; entertain; divert
2.	to cause to laugh or smile

[C15: from Old French amuser to cause to be idle, from muser to muse¹]

amusing (əˈmjuːzɪŋ)

—*adj*
	mildly entertaining; pleasantly diverting; causing a smile or laugh

a'musingly

—*adv*

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline

Word Origin & History

amuse

late 15c., from M.Fr. amuser "divert, cause to muse," from a "at, to" (but here probably a causal prefix) + muser "ponder, stare fixedly." 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.

amusing

c.1600, "cheating;" see amuse. Sense of "interesting" is from 1712; that of "pleasantly entertaining, tickling to the fancy" is from 1826. Noted late 1920s as a vogue word.

Example sentences

Sad, certainly, that they think this kind of gesture is amusing or funny.

The myth that private is somehow a more efficient social organization than public is amusing.

It would be amusing to you and your neighbors, even if it didn't work.

Still, it's going to be a little while before this is more than an amusing little toy.

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Matching Quote

"Henry B. Adams was the first in an infinite series to discover and admit to himself that he really did not care whether truth was, or was not, true. He did not even care that it should be proved true, unless the process were new and amusing. He was a Darwinian for fun."

-Henry Brooks Adams