entertain
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to hold the attention of pleasantly or agreeably; divert; amuse.
- Antonyms:
- bore
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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)
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
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.
They also say that now that easyJet’s board has shown it’s willing to entertain offers at an agreed level, a counter bidder could emerge.
From MarketWatch • Jul. 6, 2026
I don’t use my Starbucks mugs to entertain, but that’s the only time Michael Sullivan and his husband pull them off the shelf.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jul. 1, 2026
When Julio Miranda-Martin began his apartment search, he had one nonnegotiable: He wanted a dedicated dining room to entertain his friends.
From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 26, 2026
Dione Frost was up until 03:00 preparing the event and now drag queens entertain the crowd as Christina Aguilera's Lady Marmalade blasts from the speakers.
From BBC • Jun. 20, 2026
For two hours I listen to giggling and flapping as they entertain themselves with the skittish creatures.
From "The Last Cuentista" by Donna Barba Higuera
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.
