AMUSE, AMUSED, AMUSEMENT, AMUSING
ADJECTIVES
1619 — LEPID amusing, witty, jocose, pleasant in speech or behaviour
1645 — DIVERTISSANT amusing, diverting, entertaining, pleasing → obs.
1656 — HUMOURSOME amusing, comic
1680 — MONKEY amusing, playful; suggestive of a monkey → obs.
1760 — RICH very amusing or funny
1787 — QUEER amusing, funny, humorous, entertaining → Sc. obs.
1792 — QUIZZISH causing amusement, comical, quizzical → obs.
1797 — QUIZZY causing amusement, comical
1815 — MUSICAL amusing, humorous; ridiculous → US colloq., obs.
1827 — GOOD AS A PLAY exceedingly amusing or entertaining
1844 — KILLING very amusing or funny → sl.
1902 — ANTIC amusing, clownish, full of tricks; given to fun, capers, or pranks; joking, playful → Amer. dial.
1907 — PRICELESS very amusing or funny → sl.
1916 — FUNNY-HA-HA funny in the sense of amusing or comical
1917 — ANTIC AS A JAYBIRD amusing, clownish, full of tricks; given to fun, capers, or pranks; joking, playful → Amer. dial.
1923 — RIPE amusing or very funny; usually used ironically, to suggest unreasonableness → sl.
1930 — FUNNY AS A BIT OF STRING → FUNNY AS A PIECE OF STRING highly amusing → NZ sl.
1958 — FUNSY providing amusement or diversion; entertaining, light-hearted → colloq.
1966 — DAGGISH amusing in an out-of-the-way fashion; eccentric → Aust. & NZ sl.
1966 — DAGGY amusing in an out-of-the-way fashion; eccentric → Aust. & NZ sl.
1969 — HYSTERICAL very amusing or funny → sl.
NOUNS
1200 — GAME AND GLEE amusement, delight, fun, mirth, sport → obs.
1340 — LAKING amusement, playing → obs. exc. Eng. dial.
1450 — MUSERY an amusement, a pastime → obs.
1549 — CRASH a bout of amusement, revelry, fighting, etc. → obs.
1646 — JUCUNDITIES an amusing or enjoyable circumstance → obs.
1674 — MUSIC amusement, pleasure → obs.
1753 — GAFF a place of public amusement, a fair or fairground → UK circus usage
1787 — FAKE → VAKE amusement, play; a joke → Eng. dial.
1812 — THE GAFF any public place of amusement → UK sl.
1816 — DAFT-DAYS days of amusement and mirth; Yuletide → Sc.
1828 — GAME an amusing incident, a piece of fun, a lark → UK colloq.
1876 — YARK rough amusement; larks → Eng. dial.
1882 — RAP-TAPPING a rough amusement which consists in rousing people from sleep by a tap on their windows and rapping their heads when they look out → Eng. dial.
1888 — SCREAM something very amusing or funny → sl.
..L19 — ONE an amusing story; an anecdote, a joke → sl.
..20C — SKETCH an amusing or ridiculous sight → sl.
1902 — LAKE amusement, play, fun; a game → Sc. & Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1904 — SCHEME an amusement → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1905 — TANK an idle amusement → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1909 — RIOT a very amusing performance, situation, or person → sl., orig. theatrical usage
1914 — GAS amusement, fun → Anglo-Irish
1926 — A YELL something very amusing or funny → sl.
1930 — A LAUGH something very amusing or funny; often; used ironically → sl.
1940 — MIRTHQUAKE anything amusing → US sl.
1940 — LAFF RIOT → LAUGH RIOT something very amusing; an occasion for hilarity → theatrical sl.
1940 — PANIC something amusing or ridiculous → Irish sl.
1942 — A HOOT something very amusing or funny → sl., orig. US
1966 — CRACK amusement, fun; mischief → Ireland
1968 — A STITCH an amusing or hilarious thing → US sl.
1971 — ASS-KICKER something considered to be remarkably amusing, exciting, successful, etc. → Amer. sl.
1972 — (THE) CRAIC amusement, fun; entertaining company or conversation
1972 — ASS-TICKLER something amusing → Amer. sl.
1973 — ANCHOR-CLANKER something amusing → Amer. sl.
1973 — LAUGHER something very amusing or funny → US sl.
1996 — GAG an event or activity contrived to provide amusement or excitement → UK sl.
NOUNS, PERSON
1584 — WAG an amusing person; a joking, humorous fellow; anyone archly merry or ludicrously mischievous
1589 — MONKEY-FACE an amusing or funny face; a person with an amusing face
1888 — SCREAM a very amusing or funny person → sl.
1894 — HARD DOER an amusing, exciting, eccentric and/or resolute person; a ‘character’ → Aust. & NZ
..L19 — ONE an amusing or eccentric person → sl.
..20C — DAG an amusing but ‘tough’ person; a ‘character’; an extraordinary person → Aust. & NZ sl.
..20C — SKETCH an amusing or ridiculous person → sl.
1909 — RIOT a very amusing person → sl., orig. theatrical usage
1917 — GAZOONEY → GAZOONIE → GAZOONY → GAZUNY an amusing person; a fool → US sl.
1918 — HARD SHOT an amusing, exciting, eccentric and/or resolute person; a ‘character’ → Aust. & NZ colloq.
1918 — HARD THING an amusing, exciting, eccentric and/or resolute person; a ‘character’ → NZ colloq.
1920 — KANGAROOSTER an amusing or eccentric person → Aust. sl.
1921 — JIGGER an amusing or odd person; a guy, a fellow → Amer. dial.
1926 — A YELL a very amusing or funny person → sl.
1930 — A LAUGH a very amusing or funny person; often used ironically → sl.
1938 — WACK an amusing, cheeky, or eccentric person; a ‘character’; typically one who is tough and adventurous → Aust. & NZ
1940 — PANIC an amusing or ridiculous person → Irish sl.
1942 — A HOOT a very amusing or funny person → sl., orig. US
1944 — GASSER an amusing, first-rate, delightful, or entertaining person; a highly admired person considered to be the best → sl., orig. jazz usage
1950 — ACTRESS an egocentric show-off, but amusing and witty nonetheless → US homosexual sl.
1957 — GAS an amusing, first-rate, or entertaining person; one who pleases or delights → orig. US
1958 — GIGGLE an amusing person → colloq.
1965 — WACKER an amusing, crazy, zany, irrational, peculiar, or eccentric person → Aust. sl.
1968 — A STITCH an amusing or hilarious person → US sl.
1971 — ASS-KICKER a person considered to be remarkably amusing, exciting, amusing, successful, etc. → Amer. sl.
1973 — LAUGHER a very amusing or funny person → US sl.
1975 — RIG an amusing sort of chap; a joker; a prankster; an outrageous person → Amer. dial.
1980 — ZOO an amusing person → US students’ sl.
1988 — WANK an amusing, funny, odd, or eccentric person → Aust. sl. (Bk.)
1988 — WANKER an amusing, funny, odd, or eccentric person → Aust. sl. (Bk.)
PHRASES
1886 — FOR NUTS for amusement, for fun
1983 — FOR SHITS AND GIGGLES for amusement, for fun, without any serious purpose, ‘for the hell of it’
1983 — FOR SHITS AND GRINS for amusement, for fun, without any serious purpose, ‘for the hell of it’
VERBS
1000 — GAME to amuse oneself; to play, to sport, to jest → obs. exc. Eng. dial.
1250 — SKENT to amuse, to entertain → obs.
1300 — GAME to amuse, to please, to give pleasure to → obs.
1350 — LAKE to amuse oneself, to play → obs. exc. Eng. dial.
1377 — JUGGLE to amuse or entertain people with jesting, buffoonery, tricks, etc. → obs.
1405 — MAKE GAME to amuse oneself → obs.
..E19 — GAG to amuse → sl.
1858 — BEAT A MONKEY SHOW to be remarkably amusing, exasperating or the like → Amer. sl.
1859 — CAP CUTLUGS to be puzzling, amusing → Eng. dial.
1860 — HOLD IN HAND to amuse; to interest → colloq.
1898 — CAP OLD ROPER to be puzzling, amusing → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1900 — GAMMET to amuse oneself, to play, to frolic; to play off practical jokes → Eng. dial. (Bk.)
1942 — CRACK UP to be highly amused; to laugh uncontrollably → sl., orig. US
1950 — SPORTIFY to amuse, to make people laugh → W. Indies
1950 — TICKLE THE PISS OUT OF to amuse or please someone → US sl.
1950 — TICKLE THE SHIT OUT OF to amuse or please someone → US sl.