- 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.
It is a wildly entertaining series, chock full of nostalgia and anchored by a cast that provides a masterclass in genre-blind performance.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Nolan folds all of that into a hugely entertaining superhero movie without turning it into a lecture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 11, 2026
Mr. Malkovich’s wickedly entertaining, cynical yet soulful performance is the heart of a surprisingly emotional tour de force from Mr. McDonagh.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 10, 2026
Roma being back in the Champions League is great and they're a very entertaining team to watch again.
From BBC ● Sep. 7, 2026
He saw that Emma had soon made it out, and found it highly entertaining, though it was something which she judged it proper to appear to censure; for she said, “Nonsense! for shame!”
From "Emma" by Jane Austen
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.
