- present participle of entertain.
entertaining
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of entertaining
Explanation
Things that are entertaining are enjoyable and distracting. Going to the circus is an entertaining way to spend an afternoon. Activities like playing games and watching movies can be entertaining, and you can also describe a friend who's particularly funny or fun to be with as entertaining. The adjective comes from the related verb, entertain, which meant "keep up, maintain, or keep someone in a certain frame of mind" in the fifteenth century. It comes from the Old French entretenir, "hold together."
Vocabulary lists containing entertaining
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.
This trip down memory lane is entertaining, but does it really matter if 2006 and 2026 wind up being similar?
From Slate ● Oct. 2, 2026
“Witchy AF,” executive produced by Lilly Wachowski, is undeniably entertaining.
From Salon ● Oct. 2, 2026
“And so you just come here with a passion and a goal to be informative and entertaining and be a part of Showtime.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Large numbers will go on to die awful deaths from Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative brain diseases as a result of their work entertaining us on TV.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 30, 2026
Marina stayed behind with the other squadron, entertaining them by playing the village school piano and reading them poetry.
From "A Thousand Sisters" by Elizabeth Wein
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.
