Amusement

Part of speech: noun

Pronunciation: /əˈmjuzmənt/

Definitions

1. A feeling of lighthearted pleasure or entertainment derived from something funny or enjoyable
2. A state of experiencing joy or entertainment that arises from engaging with something amusing or pleasurable in nature
3. An emotional response characterized by enjoyment or fun that is typically triggered by humorous or entertaining situations

Etymology: The verb "amuse" came into English from Middle French "amuser," which meant "to cause to stop and gaze" or, more loosely, "to befuddle." That sense is a useful clue: the earliest idea was of holding someone's attention, not of making them laugh. Old French "muser" meant to gaze idly or to dawdle, perhaps from "muse," to stare at something with the mouth open, and the prefix "a-" added a sense of directing that attention at someone. Over time the verb shifted toward diverting someone's mind with pleasant things, which is where the modern idea of entertainment comes from. The noun "amusement" was borrowed from Middle French, formed by adding the suffix "-ment" to the verb. That suffix, descended from Latin "-mentum," turns a verb into a noun for the act or result of doing it, so "amusement" literally names the state of being diverted. The pattern is shared with many English nouns such as "ament" and "argument," which were also borrowed from French with this same ending.

Synonyms: entertainment, delight, pleasure, fun, enjoyment

Antonyms: boredom, displeasure, sadness, unhappiness