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.
Several of the living spaces open up directly to the backyard, which features a large pool, several entertaining spaces, and ample room for outdoor dining.
From MarketWatch • May 18, 2026
Mr. On Blast punctuates his weak jokes with very entertaining dance moves punctuated with sound effects.
From Los Angeles Times • May 17, 2026
A group of digital-savvy Gen-Zers try to pull off a crypto caper in the impressively entertaining feature debut from writer-director Ronan Corrigan.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026
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
The science-fiction writer and archaeology buff Robert Silverberg devoted an entire entertaining book to the back-and-forth over the origin of the mounds, which intermittently preoccupied American intellectuals for a century.
From "1491" by Charles C. Mann
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.
