- 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.
In this entertaining action film, the actor plays a Midwestern town’s fill-in lawman, who faces an unexpected threat from the East.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 13, 2026
The head of the AMC cinema chain, Adam Aron, posted on X and then deleted a message describing the couple's vows as "long, entertaining, personal, charming, emotional, irreverent and endearing."
From Barron's ● Aug. 12, 2026
He is about as entertaining as a stale powdered donut and even less nutritious.
From Salon ● Jul. 31, 2026
Like most Sheridan shows, it may not be particularly good, but it’s still highly entertaining.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 31, 2026
But despite the curious items we discover, the castle is not entertaining.
From "The Bletchley Riddle" by Ruta Sepetys and Steve Sheinkin
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.
