a ‧ muse ‧ ment /əˈmjuːzmənt/ BrE AmE noun
1 . [uncountable] the feeling you have when you think something is funny
with/in amusement
Her eyes sparkled with amusement.
She looked at him in amusement.
Steve couldn’t hide his amusement.
to sb’s amusement (=in a way that makes someone laugh or smile)
They were dancing and singing in the car, much to the amusement of passers-by.
The cats are a constant source of amusement to us.
2 . amusements [plural]
a) things that entertain you and make time pass in an enjoyable way:
childhood amusements
b) British English special machines or games that are intended to entertain people, for example at a ↑ fair :
The kids can ride on the amusements.
3 . [uncountable] the process of getting or providing pleasure and enjoyment:
What do you do for amusement in this town?
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ adjectives
▪ great amusement
It caused great amusement when he told us what had happened.
▪ mild/faint amusement
Daniel looked at her with mild amusement.
▪ genuine/real amusement
He laughed out loud with genuine amusement.
■ verbs
▪ cause somebody amusement
The memory seemed to cause him great amusement.
▪ show your amusement
James looked down to avoid showing his amusement.
▪ hide/conceal your amusement
There’s no need to hide your amusement. I’m well aware of it.
▪ provide amusement
The park provides plenty of amusement for the children.
■ phrases
▪ much to sb’s amusement
He got up and sang 'Yellow Submarine', much to everyone’s amusement.
▪ a source of amusement
Geoff seemed to find life a source of constant amusement.
▪ a gleam/glimmer/flicker of amusement (=a small amount in someone's eyes or on someone’s face)
He examined her face with a wry gleam of amusement.
▪ a hint/trace of amusement (=a small amount in someone's eyes or voice)
Was there a hint of amusement in her voice?