amusement
gb/əmjˈuzmənt/ us/əmjˈuzmənt/
B1
English
~ 3300
Senses
0 senses
Noun
B1
state
1
Feeling of enjoyment or laughter
The feeling you have when something is fun or makes you laugh.
Usage pattern:
[someone]'s amusement at [something]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes confuse 'amusement' with 'amusement park'. The former is a feeling; the latter is a place for fun activities.
Synonyms
entertainment (Focuses more on the activity or event itself rather than the internal feeling.)
|
delight (Stronger and more joyful than simple amusement.)
Antonyms
boredom (The opposite emotional state, when something fails to engage or entertain.)
Collocations
cause amusement
|for someone's amusement
|to one's amusement
|hide amusement
Themes
emotions
|daily life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Her amused smile showed her quiet amusement at the remark.
- The comedian's jokes were a source of great amusement for the audience.
- To his amusement, the cat kept chasing its own tail.
Learner examples
- The movie gave me a lot of amusement.
- He could not hide his amusement when she told the joke.
- Her face showed amusement when she saw the dog dance.
Noun
B1
entity
2
Something that entertains people
Something people do to have fun or be entertained.
Usage pattern:
[something] is an amusement for [someone]
Synonyms
pastime (Suggests a regular or habitual leisure activity.)
|
diversion (Implies a distraction from serious concerns.)
Antonyms
chore (An activity that must be done and is not enjoyable.)
Collocations
popular amusement
|outdoor amusement
|harmless amusement
Themes
daily life
|leisure
|daily_life
|arts_entertainment
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- Fishing is a popular amusement in this region.
- The fair offered many amusements for children.
- Television was their main amusement during the winter months.
Learner examples
- Reading is my favorite amusement.
- The park has many amusements for kids.
- Music is a good amusement for long trips.
Grammar
Dictionary form
amusement
IPA
GB/əmjˈuzmənt/
US/əmjˈuzmənt/
Syllables & stress
amuse - ment (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ment)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: amusement
- Plural: amusement, amusements
Word family
Expressions
for someone's amusement
1/fɚ sˈʌmwˌʌnz əmjˈuzmənt/
fixed phrase
Done to entertain someone
If something is done for someone's amusement, it is done to make that person happy or entertained.
Examples
- He told silly stories for the children's amusement.
- They put on a short play for our amusement.
to one's amusement
1/tə wˈʌnz əmjˈuzmənt/
fixed phrase
Finding something funny or entertaining
Used when saying that you find something funny or enjoyable.
Examples
- To her amusement, the dog jumped into the pool.
- To my amusement, he started singing in the middle of the shop.