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Prepositions after verbs

Amuse by, for, to, after or in?

Amuse is most commonly used as amuse someone or be amused by something. The prepositions by, for, to, after, and in usually have other functions in the sentence rather than forming fixed patterns with amuse.

Quick answer

Which prepositions are used with amuse?

The most natural pattern is amuse someone or be amused by something. Amused at is also common for reactions. The combinations amuse for, amuse to, amuse after, and amuse in are not standard verb-preposition patterns, although those prepositions may appear for other grammatical reasons in a sentence.

The children were amused by the magician.
She was amused at his excuse.
The game amused the guests for hours.

Choose the pattern by meaning

These forms are not interchangeable. Choose the construction by meaning, not by which preposition appears most often.

1
amuse + someone

Who receives the entertainment or enjoyment

Use amuse directly with the person who finds something entertaining.

The comedian amused the audience with quick jokes.
The cartoon amused the children during the trip.
2
be amused by + thing/person

What causes amusement

Use amused by to identify the source of entertainment or laughter.

We were amused by her storytelling.
He seemed amused by the misunderstanding.
3
be amused at + reaction/event

Reacting with mild laughter or surprise

Amused at often refers to a reaction to a situation, remark, or behaviour.

She was amused at their serious debate about snacks.
I was amused at his dramatic reply.
4
amuse + someone + with + something

How someone is entertained

With introduces the thing used to entertain another person.

They amused the guests with card tricks.
The teacher amused the class with a short story.

See the difference in context

The same subject can take different constructions because each sentence answers a different question.

Construction
Example
Meaning
amused by
The tourists were amused by the street performer.
Standard pattern showing the cause of amusement.
amused at
She was amused at his reaction.
Standard pattern for reacting to a situation or comment.
amuse for
The show amused the crowd for an hour.
For expresses duration, not a fixed verb-preposition combination.
amuse to
The joke amused me to the point of tears.
To introduces a result or degree, not a normal pattern after amuse.
amuse after
They amused themselves after dinner.
After expresses time. Amuse after is not a standard combination.
amuse in
He amused himself in the waiting room.
In expresses place. Amuse in is not a fixed verb-preposition pattern.

Common mistakes

Some combinations appear in real text but do not mean what learners often assume.

Using amuse to for the person affected

Use a direct object after amuse, not to.

✕ The film amused to the children. ✓ The film amused the children.

Confusing by with duration

Use for to show how long the amusement lasted.

✕ The game amused us by two hours. ✓ The game amused us for two hours.

Treating after as a fixed partner of amuse

After usually gives a time reference, not a verb-preposition pattern.

✕ The story amused after the guests. ✓ The story amused the guests after dinner.

Using in as the object marker

In normally describes place or context.

✕ The clown amused in the children. ✓ The clown amused the children.

Quick practice

Choose the expression that matches the intended meaning.

1. The audience was amused ___ the actor's impression.
2. The teacher amused the class ___ a funny story.
3. We were amused ___ his unexpected answer.

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Frequently asked questions

Is amused by more common than amused at?

Both are standard. Amused by focuses on the source, while amused at often describes a reaction to behaviour or a situation.

Can I say amuse for?

Not as a fixed combination. For is usually used to show duration, as in amused us for hours.

Does amuse need a direct object?

Usually yes. You amuse someone, or someone is amused by something.

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