entertain
to hold the attention of pleasantly or agreeably; divert; amuse.
to have as a guest; provide food, lodging, etc., for; show hospitality to.
to admit into the mind; consider: He never entertained such ideas.
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.
to exercise hospitality; entertain company; provide entertainment for guests: They loved to talk, dance, and entertain.
Origin of entertain
1synonym study For entertain
Other words for entertain
Opposites for entertain
Other words from entertain
- o·ver·en·ter·tained, adjective
- pre·en·ter·tain, verb (used with object)
- un·en·ter·tained, adjective
- well-en·ter·tained, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use entertain in a sentence
The Pridemobile will travel through the city to entertain and encourage citizens to vote in November.
All 128 pages are going to entertain the reader while introducing some important questions about farming and animal care.
Animal coffee table books that make great gifts and conversation fodder | PopSci Commerce Team | October 1, 2020 | Popular-ScienceIndeed, LEGO Ventures is a newish effort from the Danish modular toy maker, founded to help the company, now over 70 years old, step into the next phase of how children learn and keep themselves entertained.
Homer nabs $50M from Lego, Sesame Workshop and Gymboree for its early learning apps | Ingrid Lunden | September 30, 2020 | TechCrunchI was always entertaining family and friends in the living room or at mosque, but I got my first real part in the sixth grade at middle school.
These micro-videos are so effective because they have a unique ability to delight and entertain in a condensed time frame.
Making the most of small-screen content for big engagement impact | Sponsored Content: Cloudinary | September 24, 2020 | Search Engine Land
We want [fans] to walk away changed or better or at least entertained by it.
For us, WoodRocket is paving the way for creating a place you can come to—and come at—and stay and be entertained.
Inside the Greatest Porn Parody Factory: From ‘Game of Bones’ to ‘The Humper Games’ | Gabriella Paiella | November 28, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTShe kept servants and, evidently, three slaves, and entertained academics and philosophers in an elite salon.
Sor Juana: Mexico’s Most Erotic Poet and Its Most Dangerous Nun | Katie Baker | November 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTThe issues seem “stale” only because the commentators demand to be entertained.
What Al Franken’s Normcore Senate Race Can Teach Other Democrats | Ana Marie Cox | October 27, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTHe spent most of his vacation as the guest of our printers in Philadelphia, and they entertained him handsomely.
The Stacks: H.L. Mencken on the 1904 Baltimore Fire | H.L. Mencken | October 4, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTAristide called on Madame Coquereau, who entertained him with sweet Frontignan wine, dry sponge cakes and conversation.
The Joyous Adventures of Aristide Pujol | William J. LockeOn her death, nine days later, we entertained the glad hope that our labor had found some favor in heaven.
It is true that I was impressed with him in a way, because the man was rather—er, inspiring, and I entertained hopes.
The Homesteader | Oscar MicheauxEntertained a small party of Australian officers as my private guests for 48 hours, my idea being to give them a bit of a rest.
Gallipoli Diary, Volume I | Ian HamiltonEvery morning an old jackdaw perched on a chimney outside our skylight, and entertained us with his chatter.
Fifty Years of Railway Life in England, Scotland and Ireland | Joseph Tatlow
British Dictionary definitions for entertain
/ (ˌɛntəˈteɪn) /
to provide amusement for (a person or audience)
to show hospitality to (guests)
(tr) to hold in the mind: to entertain an idea
Origin of entertain
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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