Tuesday, September 11, 2018

Usage: Amused vs. Bemused

Note the meanings of these two different words (Merriam-Webster):
amused: pleasantly entertained or diverted
bemused: marked by confusion or bewilderment, lost in thought or reverie

Too many writers are using bemused to mean amused. They are not interchangeable, at least for now.

To muse means to be absorbed in thought. If you are comfortable with your Latin prefixes, a- means not, so amused means not absorbed in thought. You are being entertained instead. The be- prefix has a lot of meanings, mostly to do with making things more complicated. So you may be over-thinking something if you’re bemused.

Trick to Remember
Bemused is similar to bewildered and befuddled.
Amused makes you say ah! ooh!

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