entertain
Americanverb (used with object)
-
entertains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
entertained,
past participle, past
-
entertaining
present participle
-
to hold the attention of pleasantly or agreeably; divert; amuse.
- Antonyms:
- bore
-
to have as a guest; provide food, lodging, etc., for; show hospitality to.
-
to admit into the mind; consider.
He never entertained such ideas.
- Antonyms:
- reject
-
to hold in the mind; harbor; cherish.
They secretly entertained thoughts of revenge.
-
Archaic. to maintain or keep up.
-
Obsolete. to give admittance or reception to; receive.
verb (used without object)
-
entertains,
present (3rd person singular)
-
entertained,
past participle, past
-
entertaining
present participle
verb
-
to provide amusement for (a person or audience)
-
to show hospitality to (guests)
-
(tr) to hold in the mind
to entertain an idea
Synonym Usage
See amuse.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
preentertainverb (used with object)
-
overentertainedadjective
-
unentertainedadjective
-
well-entertainedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
entertainsimple
-
entertainssimple
-
have entertainedperfect
-
has entertainedperfect
-
am entertainingprogressive
-
are entertainingprogressive
-
is entertainingprogressive
-
have been entertainingperfect progressive
-
has been entertainingperfect progressive
Past
-
entertainedsimple
-
had entertainedperfect
-
was entertainingprogressive
-
were entertainingprogressive
-
had been entertainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of entertain
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English entertenen “to hold mutually,” from Middle French entretenir, ultimately from Vulgar Latin intertenēre (unrecorded), from Latin inter- inter- + tenēre “to hold”
Explanation
If you want to entertain, you've got to hold people's attention, usually with something amusing. Clowns, music, silly jokes, and a good game of charades can all be used to entertain. Did you know you can actually entertain ideas? It's not quite the same as entertaining friends with a good home cooked meal or tickets to the ball game, but still an appropriate way to use the word. To entertain an idea means to have it in mind or under consideration. For example, you never thought of studying abroad, but after a professor said it was one of the most meaningful experiences of his life, you started to entertain the idea of living in a foreign country.
Vocabulary lists containing entertain
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" by Patrick Henry (1775)
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 3
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
But finding a popcorn movie that could entertain beyond nostalgia alone was rare.
From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2026
“I remember telling my mom, ‘I just want to entertain.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 7, 2026
“But that’s also why we entertain a lot at home. I now have a phone basket that I use to take everyone’s phones away!”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 3, 2026
For millennials like Tasmiyah Manan from Oakwood in north Leeds, South Asian broadcasting didn't just entertain; it shaped how she understood herself.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
He stretched right out, leaning his head against the cushioned wall of the cab and pretending to nod off, a common avoidance-of-conversation-with-strangers tactic of his, one which left me to entertain Shorty.
From "Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet" by Joanne Proulx
Host and journalist Anders Kvaal entertains both sides of the fracas with his ears open and his mouth largely shut.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
The paved terrace, for example, is an imitation of a similar space in Palm Beach where the president routinely entertains.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2025
Oates seems to posit that we allow whatever entertains, and we return to whatever has entertained before.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 16, 2025
"I think he's ultimately a very good, what I would call, ballroom entertainer. And he stands up and he entertains, and he's extremely good at that."
From BBC ● May 15, 2025
Or so it seems to his father as, on a fan-cooled veranda, he entertains apocalyptic thoughts of marching armies, a new dynasty, the end of society as they know it.
From "Typical American" by Gish Jen
Proof, if any were needed, that people prefer to be entertained rather than preached to.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 14, 2026
He even looked into playing arena football and entertained the idea of playing for the Los Angeles Avengers, but that thought only lasted a day or so.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 5, 2026
The oil chief is an eloquent speaker whose TV appearances have entertained the president.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
Sara Tidy said there were "literally hundreds of cars" and "kids playing tennis" to keep them entertained.
From BBC ● Jul. 18, 2026
I get the sense that he has finally figured out a way to keep himself entertained and I am it.
From "The Misfits" by James Howe
In a sweeping, very entertaining investigative account, Dan Kois delves into the history and benefits of bar soap and why it’s worth fighting for.
From Slate ● Aug. 19, 2026
“From its expansive grounds to its capacity for entertaining, this magnificent residence offers an exceptional Beverly Park experience.”
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 19, 2026
Pascal Struijk's arrival from Leeds adds defensive experience, and with plenty of quality elsewhere, Amex Stadium will again be an entertaining place to be this season.
From BBC ● Aug. 19, 2026
“It’s such a complex, yet entertaining novel. We learned a lot about the tenets of Islam as woven into the story,” Ellyn Moscowitz shares about their book club pick.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 18, 2026
Children everywhere have similar ways of entertaining themselves.
From "The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind" by William Kamkwamba
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
