amuse
/əˈmjuːz/
verb
Origin
Old French
amuser — to delay, to keep waiting, or to distract
Overview
Meaning Now
- To cause someone to find something funny or entertaining.
- To occupy in an agreeable, pleasing, or entertaining fashion.
Literal older meaning
Originally 'to cause to muse, to distract, or to beguile'.
Language path
Old French → Middle French → English
Earliest form
amuser
Earliest period
late 15th century
Journey
The term 'amuse' originally carried a sense of deception or 'leading astray'. To 'amuse' someone in the 16th century was to baffle them or keep them in a state of wonder or distraction. It was not until the late 17th and 18th centuries that the word acquired its modern, exclusively positive connotation of providing pleasant entertainment.
Evolution
- 12th century Old French
muser
“to stand or wait about, to idle”
Possibly from a Frankish base related to sniffing or staring.
- 15th century Middle French
amuser
“to distract, to deceive, to hold attention”
- 16th century English
amuse
“to distract or beguile”
Initially meant to deceive or make someone 'muse' or stare vacantly.
- 18th century English
amuse
“to provide entertainment”
Shifted from distraction to positive diversion.
Connections
Word parts
a-
prefix
to (ad-)
muse
root
to stare, to ponder, to be distracted
Related across languages
French
amuser
to have fun, to play
Italian
musare
to stare, to mope
Explore next
Related to amuse
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.