Word for Wednesday: Amusing

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Our Word for Wednesday theme for November is other words for funny.

If something is funny, it means that it provokes laughter. The word has been used in English since 1756 and comes from the word ‘fun-‘ and the suffix ‘-y'. 'Fun' comes from the Middle English ‘fonnen’ meaning ‘befool’.

Our first word of the month is amusing. If something is amusing it means it provides enjoyment or causes laughter.

Here is amusing used in some example sentences:

  • The chair made an amusing squeaking sound.
  • There’s an amusing twist at the end of the film.

The word amusing entered English in the 1590s as synonym for ‘cheating’. It took on the meaning ‘interesting’ in 1712 and ‘pleasantly entertaining’ in 1826.

Amusing derives from ‘amuse’ which comes from the Old French ‘amuser’ meaning ‘to fool, tease, hoax, entrap, or make fun of’.


02 Nov 2022
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"I ran the trial with a small group of students over three weeks before the summer holidays," she says. "I quickly saw the benefits, and signed up."

King's Leadership Academy, Warrington

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