entertain
verb (used with object)
to hold the attention of pleasantly or agreeably; divert; amuse.
entertained
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past participleof entertain.past participle
A verb form used in perfect and passive verb constructions and that can also function as a modifier.
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past tense formof entertain.past tense
Used to describe completed actions or previous habitual actions.
entertainverb (used with object)to hold the attention of pleasantly or agreeably; divert; amuse.
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.
The story goes that Disney would bring his daughters to the merry-go-round, sit on a bench and dream of a place where adults and children could be entertained together.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 12, 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
Inside government and out, people were forced to think thoughts they’d never entertained before: Are my kids safe?
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 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
He’d come to see me, but she told me to keep to my room while she entertained him.
From "Ella Enchanted" by Gail Carson Levine
