Dictionary Definition
amusing adj
1 providing enjoyment; pleasantly entertaining;
"an amusing speaker"; "a diverting story"; "a fun thing to do"
[syn: amusive, diverting, fun(a)]
2 arousing or provoking laughter; "an amusing
film with a steady stream of pranks and pratfalls"; "an amusing
fellow"; "a comic hat"; "a comical look of surprise"; "funny
stories that made everybody laugh"; "a very funny writer"; "it
would have been laughable if it hadn't hurt so much"; "a mirthful
experience"; "risible courtroom antics" [syn: comic, comical, funny, laughable, mirthful, risible]
User Contributed Dictionary
English
Pronunciation
Verb form
amusing- Present participle of to amuse
Adjective
Extensive Definition
Amusement is the state of experiencing humorous and usually entertaining events or
situations, and is associated with enjoyment, happiness, laughter and pleasure. Amusement may also be
experienced through the recollection of events
which have given rise to amusement in the past.
Reactions
Humans will typically
laugh or smile to display amusement. For
most people at some time, situations which would normally elicit
amusement may not always have the same effect, due to various
reasons such as one's state of mind. People with certain disorders
or disabilities may sometimes appear to experience amusement
without an obvious cause or reason.
Although various animals may be perceived as
experiencing amusement, this may simply be a case of anthropomorphism.
Interpretations of "amusement" may be attributed to animals that do
not behave as expected, such as where an animal runs instead of
walks, or becomes more alert. Other animals such as dogs may wag
their tails or spin around, birds may chirp more loudly or
frequently, while racoons or bears may not react at all.
However, there are instances of animals
reportedly, "playing jokes" on other animals or humans. While they
may not show any outward signs of amusement, it would seem as if
there is no other explanation.