Tease vs Amuse - What's the difference?
tease | amuse |
To separate the fibres of a fibrous material.
To comb (originally with teasels) so that the fibres all lie in one direction.
To back-comb.
To poke fun at.
To provoke or disturb; to annoy.
* (1800-1859)
*:Hesuffered them to tease him into acts directly opposed to his strongest inclinations.
*1684 , , (Hudibras)
*:Not by the force of carnal reason, / But indefatigable teasing .
*
*:"My tastes," he said, still smiling, "incline me to the garishly sunlit side of this planet." And, to tease her and arouse her to combat: "I prefer a farandole to a nocturne; I'd rather have a painting than an etching; Mr. Whistler bores me with his monochromatic mud; I don't like dull colours, dull sounds, dull intellects;."
To entice, to tempt.
To entertain or occupy in a pleasant manner; to stir with pleasing emotions.
* Gilpin
To cause laughter, to be funny.
(archaic) To keep in expectation; to beguile; to delude.
* Johnson
(archaic) To occupy or engage the attention of; to lose in deep thought; to absorb; also, to distract; to bewilder.
* Holland
* Fuller
As verbs the difference between tease and amuse
is that tease is to separate the fibres of a fibrous material while amuse is .As a noun tease
is one who teases.tease
English
Verb
(teas)Derived terms
* tease out * teaserSynonyms
* (cock tease) cockteaser, prickteaserAnagrams
*amuse
English
Verb
- 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.
- A group of children amusing themselves with pushing stones from the top [of the cliff], and watching as they plunged into the lake.
- He amused his followers with idle promises.
- Camillus set upon the Gauls when they were amused in receiving their gold.
- Being amused with grief, fear, and fright, he could not find the house.