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Muse vs Amuse - What's the difference?

muse | amuse |

In transitive terms the difference between muse and amuse

is that muse is to wonder at while amuse is to entertain or occupy in a pleasant manner; to stir with pleasing emotions.

As verbs the difference between muse and amuse

is that muse is to become lost in thought, to ponder while amuse is to entertain or occupy in a pleasant manner; to stir with pleasing emotions.

As a noun muse

is a source of inspiration.

muse

English

Etymology 1

From (etyl) muse, from (etyl) .

Noun

(s)
  • A source of inspiration.
  • (archaic) A poet; a bard.
  • (Milton)
    Usage notes
    The plural musae'' can also be found, though it is much rarer than ''muses .

    Etymology 2

    First attested in 1340. From (etyl) muser.

    Verb

    (mus)
  • To become lost in thought, to ponder.
  • To say (something) with due consideration or thought.
  • * (seeCites)
  • To think on; to meditate on.
  • * (rfdate) Thomson
  • Come, then, expressive Silence, muse his praise.
  • * {{quote-magazine, date=2013-06-07, author=David Simpson
  • , volume=188, issue=26, page=36, magazine=(The Guardian Weekly) , title= Fantasy of navigation , passage=It is tempting to speculate about the incentives or compulsions that might explain why anyone would take to the skies in [the] basket [of a balloon]: […];  […]; or perhaps to muse on the irrelevance of the borders that separate nation states and keep people from understanding their shared environment.}}
  • To wonder at.
  • (Shakespeare)
    Synonyms
    * See also

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • An act of musing; a period of thoughtfulness.
  • * 1590 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , I.xii:
  • still he sate long time astonished / As in great muse , ne word to creature spake.
  • * 1978 , (Lawrence Durrell), Livia , Faber & Faber 1992 (Avignon Quintet), p. 416:
  • He fell into a muse and pulled his upper lip.

    Etymology 3

    From (etyl) musse. See muset.

    Noun

    (en noun)
  • A gap or hole in a hedge, fence, etc. through which a wild animal is accustomed to pass; a muset.
  • Find a hare without a muse . (old proverb)

    Anagrams

    * ----

    amuse

    English

    Verb

  • To entertain or occupy in a pleasant manner; to stir with pleasing emotions.
  • I watch these movies because they amuse me.
    It always amuses me to hear the funny stories why people haven't got a ticket, but I never let them get in without paying.
  • * Gilpin
  • A group of children amusing themselves with pushing stones from the top [of the cliff], and watching as they plunged into the lake.
  • To cause laughter, to be funny.
  • (archaic) To keep in expectation; to beguile; to delude.
  • * Johnson
  • He amused his followers with idle promises.
  • (archaic) To occupy or engage the attention of; to lose in deep thought; to absorb; also, to distract; to bewilder.
  • * Holland
  • Camillus set upon the Gauls when they were amused in receiving their gold.
  • * Fuller
  • Being amused with grief, fear, and fright, he could not find the house.

    Synonyms

    * entertain, gratify, please, divert, beguile

    Derived terms

    * amusement

    References

    *

    Anagrams

    * ----