What is the difference between amuse and bemuse?

Amused and bemused are confusing English words. They are adjectives that express feelings, and their spellings are somewhat the same. However, they have a different meaning. The word amuse was originated in the late 15th century; it was derived from the old French word amuser “entertain” To be amused means to find something funny; being amuse means having a good time.

People are amused by events, jokes, funny conversations, and humorous events. Amused does not mean to laugh out loud or laugh extremely hard to cry, for example. My friend was amused to find the book interesting. He made faces to amuse her.

Bemused means to find something confusing, muddle, puzzling, or bewilder. Example. The lecturer was bemused to see two answer sheets.

When you are amused, this means that you are feeling happy because of something that you are doing. For example, when you have just done or watched something that truly entertained you, you cannot help but feel amused about everything. When you say that you are bemused, this means that you are feeling a bit confused about something that you have just witnessed, heard, or did.

You may use the word “bemused” when you want to say that you are feeling confused. For example, you can say, “He was bemused to know that his trusty assistant planned to resign from work.” You can use the word “amuse” this way, “He was amused after she looked at her with love in her eyes.”