When something is done amusingly, it is done in a light, funny way that makes people smile — not a huge joke, more a small lift in the room. The word tells HOW something happens, or how a fact lands. Writers like it at the front of a sentence: Amusingly, both children had packed the same book. There it means “here is a slightly funny thing I noticed.” You can also put it after a verb: she told the story amusingly, meaning the telling itself was pleasant and funny. It is a little more at home in books and careful speech than in the playground, where people just say it was funny. Though actually, amusingly does not mean the speaker is laughing loudly. It often carries a small, dry smile, as if someone has spotted something odd and is sharing it kindly.