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Synonyms

entertaining

American  
[en-ter-tey-ning] / ˌɛn tərˈteɪ nɪŋ /

adjective

  1. affording entertainment; amusing; diverting.

    We spent an entertaining evening at the theater.
entertaining British  
/ ˌɛntəˈteɪnɪŋ /

adjective

  1. serving to entertain or give pleasure; diverting; amusing

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

  • entertainingly adverb
  • nonentertaining adjective
  • quasi-entertaining adjective
  • self-entertaining adjective
  • unentertaining adjective
  • unentertainingly adverb

Etymology

Origin of entertaining

First recorded in 1615–25; entertain + -ing 2

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.

Frustrating and entertaining in equal measure, Brook is still searching for his ideal method.

From BBC

“It’s big, loud, colorful and incredibly entertaining, but underneath that is something much more personal.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Concerned about overly cozy relationships, regulators have effectively barred fiduciaries from entertaining all but the most distant of relationships.

From Barron's

It is also a cautionary tale about writers’ aspirations—albeit one that is both gripping and relentlessly entertaining.

From The Wall Street Journal

As goalless draws go, this was an thoroughly entertaining one with both teams having chances to claim all three points.

From BBC

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.