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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

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."

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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.

In a stark contrast to Coppins’ message, the Atlantic’s editors appeared to treat the endeavor as an entertaining, lighthearted stunt.

From Slate • May 5, 2026

It’s made for a lot of people to be here and for entertaining, and we use it well.”

From MarketWatch • Apr. 27, 2026

Watching caricatures of men on TV can be entertaining, but it doesn’t reflect reality.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 24, 2026

KaraFun also has an entertaining music trivia game, which I tested out with the founders and came in second place.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026

They look at me with mute interest, as if I am a mildly entertaining side act at a circus.

From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir

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.