amusing
gb/əmjˈuzɪŋ/ us/əmjˈuzɪŋ/
B1
English
~ 7600
Senses
0 senses
adjective
B1
property
1
funny or entertaining
Funny or nice in a way that makes you smile or laugh.
Usage pattern:
amusing [story/joke/situation/person]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *amusing* when they mean *strange* or *odd*, copying one meaning of *funny*. *Amusing* almost always means that something is enjoyable or makes you laugh, not that it is strange. Also, learners may overuse *very amusing*; in natural speech, people often say *quite amusing*, *really amusing*, or *mildly amusing* for softer opinions.
Synonyms
funny (More common and general; can mean both ‘makes you laugh’ and ‘strange’, while ‘amusing’ does not usually mean ‘strange’.)
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entertaining (Focuses more on keeping someone interested and enjoying themselves, not only on making them laugh.)
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humorous (Slightly more formal; often used for writing, speeches, or style that shows a sense of humor.)
Antonyms
boring (Describes something that does not interest or amuse people.)
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serious (Describes something without jokes or fun, often about important or difficult topics.)
Collocations
find [something] amusing
|an amusing story
|an amusing incident
|mildly amusing
|highly amusing
|quite amusing
Themes
emotions
|entertainment
|daily life
|communication
|core_vocabulary
Examples
- The film was amusing, but not laugh-out-loud funny.
- There was an amusing misunderstanding at the meeting.
- She told us an amusing story about her first day at work.
- I always find his dry comments surprisingly amusing.
- It was amusing to watch the puppies chase their own tails.
Learner examples
- The book is short but very amusing.
- We watched an amusing video on the internet.
- I find his jokes amusing, even when they are silly.
- The children made an amusing little play for their parents.
- It was amusing to see the cat play with the box.
Grammar
Dictionary form
amusing
IPA
GB/əmjˈuzɪŋ/
US/əmjˈuzɪŋ/
Syllables & stress
amus - ing (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (ing)
Word forms
Adjective
- Base: amusing
Word family
Expressions
an amusing story
1/ən əmjˈuzɪŋ stˈɔɹi/
fixed phrase
a funny or entertaining story
A story that is funny and makes people smile or laugh.
Examples
- He told us an amusing story about getting lost on holiday.
- The book is full of amusing stories from her childhood.
find something amusing
1/fˈaɪnd sˈʌmθɪŋ əmjˈuzɪŋ/
fixed phrase
consider something funny
To think that something is funny or makes you smile.
Examples
- I didn't find the joke amusing at all.
- She finds it amusing when her dog steals her socks.
- Some people find that kind of humor amusing, but others do not.
mildly amusing
1/mˈaɪldli əmjˈuzɪŋ/
fixed phrase
a little bit funny
A bit funny, but not very funny.
Examples
- The film was only mildly amusing, so we left early.
- I found his comment mildly amusing, but no one else laughed.