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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

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."

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing entertaining

12 More Interesting Ways to Say "interesting"

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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.

But, entertaining as it is to watch them slay one another with smiling faces, I am not sure the characters are representative of the culture at large.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 23, 2026

Outside, the couple leveled the once-dirt backyard, added pea gravel, built a pergola with a handyman and installed a firepit where they enjoy entertaining their friends.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2026

But that requires more time and energy than I’m willing to sacrifice while raising a young child and entertaining my dreams of becoming a star potter.

From Slate • Apr. 20, 2026

The home is being sold unfurnished and boasts a stunning backyard that is fit for entertaining, thanks to its lush greenery and resort-style pool, waterfall, slide, and hot tub.

From MarketWatch • Apr. 20, 2026

To this day you can leave me alone for hours and I’m perfectly happy entertaining myself.

From "Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood" by Trevor Noah

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.