amusement
pronunciation
How to pronounce amusement in British English:
UK [əˈmjuːzmənt]
How to pronounce amusement in American English:
US [əˈmjuːzmənt]
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- Noun:
- a feeling of delight at being entertained
- a diversion that holds the attention
Word Origin
- amusement (n.)
- c. 1600, "diversion of attention," especially in military actions, from French amusement, noun of action from amuser (see amuse). And because all bold and irreverent Speeches touching matters of high nature, and all malicious and false Reports tending to Sedition, or to the Amusement of Our People, are punishable ... (etc.) [Charles II, Proclamation of Oct. 26, 1688] Meaning "a pastime, play, game, anything which pleasantly diverts the attention" (from duty, work, etc.) is from 1670s, originally depreciative; meaning "pleasurable diversion" attested from 1690s. Amusement hall is from 1862; amusement park first recorded 1897.
Synonym
Antonym
Example
- 1. Joseph generated respect and amusement in roughly equal measure .
- 2. ' I don 't really see this experiment as scary , I see it almost as an amusement , ' she said .
- 3. " With many creative teams challenged with high workloads , office pranks may be viewed more as a distraction than an amusement , " said lara dodo , vice-president of the creative group 's canadian operations .
- 4. We do not live for idle amusement .
- 5. Ware regards earhart 's pose of lindberghian diffidence with critical amusement .