entertain
Americanverb (used with object)
-
to hold the attention of pleasantly or agreeably; divert; amuse.
- Antonyms:
- bore
-
to have as a guest; provide food, lodging, etc., for; show hospitality to.
-
to admit into the mind; consider.
He never entertained such ideas.
- Antonyms:
- reject
-
to hold in the mind; harbor; cherish.
They secretly entertained thoughts of revenge.
-
Archaic. to maintain or keep up.
-
Obsolete. to give admittance or reception to; receive.
verb (used without object)
verb
-
to provide amusement for (a person or audience)
-
to show hospitality to (guests)
-
(tr) to hold in the mind
to entertain an idea
Synonym Usage
See amuse.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
-
preentertainverb (used with object)
-
overentertainedadjective
-
unentertainedadjective
-
well-entertainedadjective
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
entertainsimple
-
entertainssimple
-
have entertainedperfect
-
has entertainedperfect
-
am entertainingprogressive
-
are entertainingprogressive
-
is entertainingprogressive
-
have been entertainingperfect progressive
-
has been entertainingperfect progressive
Past
-
entertainedsimple
-
had entertainedperfect
-
was entertainingprogressive
-
were entertainingprogressive
-
had been entertainingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of entertain
First recorded in 1425–75; late Middle English entertenen “to hold mutually,” from Middle French entretenir, ultimately from Vulgar Latin intertenēre (unrecorded), from Latin inter- inter- + tenēre “to hold”
Explanation
If you want to entertain, you've got to hold people's attention, usually with something amusing. Clowns, music, silly jokes, and a good game of charades can all be used to entertain. Did you know you can actually entertain ideas? It's not quite the same as entertaining friends with a good home cooked meal or tickets to the ball game, but still an appropriate way to use the word. To entertain an idea means to have it in mind or under consideration. For example, you never thought of studying abroad, but after a professor said it was one of the most meaningful experiences of his life, you started to entertain the idea of living in a foreign country.
Vocabulary lists containing entertain
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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"Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death" by Patrick Henry (1775)
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"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet," Vocabulary from Act 3
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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.
See Examples For:
Studios line up to showcase their best and newest offerings at Comic-Con, with dozens of panels to entertain fans.
From Barron's ● Jul. 23, 2026
With the show’s upcoming launch, the goal of “Stuart” is not only to entertain audiences, but given its differing terrain from “Big Bang Theory” and its spinoffs, it will also surprise and feel unpredictable.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 13, 2026
Some of his colleagues’ inflation worries have sharpened since, and they could push to entertain a rate increase when the Fed meets July 28-29.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 13, 2026
They were created by a retired joiner in the 1960s to entertain his disabled son but grew to a huge collection and became a "much-loved visitor attraction".
From BBC ● Jul. 7, 2026
Sent to France to negotiate a wartime alliance, he arrived in Paris just when the French ministry was ready to entertain such an idea.
From "Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation" by Joseph J. Ellis
Host and journalist Anders Kvaal entertains both sides of the fracas with his ears open and his mouth largely shut.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 16, 2025
The real scandal here is why she entertains any of these losers at all.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 12, 2025
The paved terrace, for example, is an imitation of a similar space in Palm Beach where the president routinely entertains.
From Slate ● Aug. 5, 2025
"I think he's ultimately a very good, what I would call, ballroom entertainer. And he stands up and he entertains, and he's extremely good at that."
From BBC ● May 15, 2025
My easygoing, sweet, Bollywood-film-star mother entertains the world.
From "You Bring the Distant Near" by Mitali Perkins
The oil chief is an eloquent speaker whose TV appearances have entertained the president.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 25, 2026
The tension rose as the third set unfolded and the pair entertained the 15,000-strong crowd on Centre Court with top-quality groundstrokes and sensational quickfire play at the net.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
Mexico returned from halftime with great momentum in front of a crowd that had been entertained at halftime by the Mexican band Maná.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 6, 2026
Once live music, theater and sports returned, vaccines proliferated and public health restrictions eased, people rushed back to be entertained in big crowds.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 27, 2026
Anyway, choiceless, she went, leaving husband, sister, Rose Dear and May behind, and if she worried, the blond baby helped soothe her, and kept her entertained for eighteen years, until he left home.
From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison
One of the most entertaining riders in the race was Ecuador's Richard Carapaz of EF Education-Easypost.
From BBC ● Jul. 26, 2026
All the various formats have their proponents and the conversations about them have been entertaining and informative, but no matter the film or screen size, it’s a very good movie.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
“Obsession” is certainly entertaining, which helps bolster it in the audience’s eyes.
From Salon ● Jul. 22, 2026
The lavish estate features a resort-style swimming pool, private dock, guesthouse, basketball court, spa, expansive outdoor entertaining areas, and panoramic views of the Miami skyline.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 20, 2026
His favorite companion on these tours was Mercury, the most entertaining of all the gods, the shrewdest and the most resourceful.
From "Mythology: Timeless Tales of Gods and Heroes" by Edith Hamilton
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.
