Amused and bemused

There are plenty of words that get mixed up and people assume are synonyms: "affect" and "effect", "insure" and "ensure", or even "warm" and "lukewarm". Another pair that are often mixed up is "amused" and "bemused".

The other day, I heard someone say that they were bemused by a joke. They were referring to the fact they thought the joke was funny; however, to be "bemused" by something is to be confused by it. The correct word in this instance should have been amused.

For example, if you say you are bemused by a joke, you are saying that the humour was lost on you because you were confused; but if you say you are amused by a joke, you are saying that you understood the joke and appreciated the humour.

"I was amused by some people's bemusement at the amusement others had about the joke that usually bemuses people. It was amusing because their bemused expressions were, well, amusing!"

Remember, amused = found something funny; bemused = found something confusing!