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Ridicule vs Amuse - What's the difference?

ridicule | amuse |

As verbs the difference between ridicule and amuse

is that ridicule is to criticize or disapprove of someone or something through scornful jocularity; to make fun of while amuse is .

As a noun ridicule

is derision; mocking or humiliating words or behaviour.

As an adjective ridicule

is (obsolete) ridiculous.

ridicule

English

Verb

(ridicul)
  • to criticize or disapprove of someone or something through scornful jocularity; to make fun of
    • His older sibling constantly ridiculed him with sarcastic remarks.

    Synonyms

    * (l)

    Noun

  • derision; mocking or humiliating words or behaviour
  • * Alexander Pope
    • Safe from the bar, the pulpit, and the throne, / Yet touched and shamed by ridicule alone.
  • An object of sport or laughter; a laughing stock.
  • * Buckle
    • [Marlborough] was so miserably ignorant, that his deficiencies made him the ridicule of his contemporaries.
  • * Foxe
    • To the people but a trifle, to the king but a ridicule .
  • The quality of being ridiculous; ridiculousness.
  • * Addison
    • to see the ridicule of this practice

    Synonyms

    * See also

    Related terms

    * deride * derision * ridiculous * ridiculosity

    See also

    * humiliation

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • (obsolete) ridiculous
    • This action became so ridicule . — Aubrey.
    (Webster 1913)

    External links

    * * ----

    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

    * ----