Amuse vs Bemuse

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Amuse vs Bemuse
Amuse and bemuse. Don’t they mean the same thing? Apparently not. Although there are words that look different but actually mean the same, these two words are the opposite. They look the same, but they are very different. They are definitely another quirk in the English language. But here is how you use them properly.

The word amuse or to amuse roughly means to entertain someone. When someone finds something entertaining or funny, let us say a movie or a joke told by someone, he or she can be considered amused. This word is usually positive, as it implies that something amusing may catch the attention and pique the interest of the one being amused.

Though it does not necessarily have to be positive, it is rare to use the word amuse to signify anything negative. For instance, one can say “I am amused by the comics I am currently reading.” This implies that the subject finds the comics he or she is reading either funny, entertaining, or generally just interesting.

Bemuse, on the other hand, means to confuse or to baffle. If one is bemused, it means one is confused or baffled by something. Unlike amuse, the word bemuse is usually utilized for something negative. After all, confusion is, most often than not, used for something negative. One can say that they were bemused by a book about financial reports. Or they can say that they find the news clip about the political stand of the current administration is bemusing.

Although other dictionaries have more entries under the word bemuse that might mean something else other than being confused or baffled, the word is generally used as such. Other dictionaries would say that the word bemuse can still mean “a bit amused”, but this certainly depends on the context of the thought or sentence.