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:
What is certain is that Liverpool have a truly special talent on their hands and one that they will hope can entertain the Anfield crowd for years to come.
From BBC ● Oct. 20, 2026
“It’s not a permanent opposition,” he says, “There’s enough overlap already that we might see a staffer class that starts in DSA and is willing to entertain joining MYD.”
From Slate ● Oct. 20, 2026
“Our mission—to entertain the world—is ambitious, and delivering on it requires us to be disciplined about where we prioritize our people and resources,” they told employees.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
He was a hammer meeting a nail, traveling to the run down parts of towns all over America to shore things up — to entertain rather than win over audiences.
From Salon ● Oct. 7, 2026
We entertain ourselves by trying to figure out which disease they’ve got, and we’ve reached the conclusion that they suffer from cancer, smallpox and measles.
From "The Diary of a Young Girl" by Anne Frank
Britain's The Guardian newspaper said the movie "entertains us with creepy campfire tales" but the Hollywood Reporter called it a "dull existential drama" while The Wrap website described it as a "frustrating slog".
From Barron's ● Sep. 9, 2026
No one entertains the idea that one person’s graffitied tribute to a male gladiator might have been defaced by giving the picture breasts.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 27, 2026
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
It entertains and explains how Trump became who he is.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2024
My easygoing, sweet, Bollywood-film-star mother entertains the world.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
“Because they want the details, but also for the casual fan to be able to understand and follow the game and maybe be entertained at the same time. It’s a delicate balance.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 8, 2026
The updated policy does not explicitly cite so-called "model welfare," the idea that AI systems might deserve types of protection usually reserved for living things, but Anthropic and its executives have openly entertained the concept.
From Barron's ● Oct. 8, 2026
“The sheer volume of information captured is not something that is entertained, in my view, by the Fourth Amendment,” said Rep. Mitch Little, R-Lewisville.
From Salon ● Sep. 6, 2026
The proposed donation was never made as it was part of an undercover sting, but that it was seemingly entertained has sparked questions.
From BBC ● Sep. 5, 2026
Midas welcomed him and entertained him for ten days.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
If you enjoyed it and would like more essays, entertaining guides and recipes sent straight to your inbox, subscribe here.
From Salon ● Oct. 20, 2026
Fabian Hurzeler's free-scoring side have arguably been the most entertaining top-flight team to watch this season, but they have backed up their attacking flair with a robust defence.
From BBC ● Oct. 19, 2026
My entertaining advice is: go to a great bakery and buy a cheesecake.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 18, 2026
The listing emphasizes the home’s connection to nature, with its large windows, outdoor entertaining areas, and landscaped surroundings creating a retreat-like atmosphere.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 15, 2026
I assumed that all of these posts were filled with misdirection and misinformation, but they were still highly entertaining.
From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
