regale
Americanverb (used with object)
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to entertain lavishly or agreeably; delight.
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to entertain with choice food or drink.
verb (used without object)
noun
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Rare. a sumptuous feast.
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Archaic. a choice article of food or drink.
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Archaic. refreshment.
verb
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to give delight or amusement to
he regaled them with stories of his youth
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to provide with choice or abundant food or drink
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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regalesimple
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regalessimple
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have regaledperfect
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has regaledperfect
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am regalingprogressive
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are regalingprogressive
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is regalingprogressive
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have been regalingperfect progressive
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has been regalingperfect progressive
Past
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regaledsimple
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had regaledperfect
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was regalingprogressive
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were regalingprogressive
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had been regalingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of regale
First recorded in 1650–60; from French régaler, derivative of régal(e), Old French rigale, derivative of gale “festivity” (with prefix of rigoler “to amuse oneself”), derivative of galer “to make merry”; see gallant
Explanation
You may have heard it said that the fastest way to a person’s heart is through his stomach. So, if you need to please or impress someone, regale them — that is, treat them to lavish food and drink. While food is a reliable way to regale someone, regale can also involve providing forms of entertainment such as music or storytelling. Regale is akin to the word gala, meaning “a festive party,” and gallant, which can mean “spirited and adventurous” (though gallant can also mean “noble and brave”). If you regale someone with a gala attended by partygoers who are gallant, in either sense of the word, everyone should have a pretty good time.
Vocabulary lists containing regale
The Martian
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Oliver Twist
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Unbroken
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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.
But first, he has to regale his teammates of the tale of getting Aaron Judge out.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 10, 2026
He turned instead to trying to make her laugh, which proves an ideal origin story for someone who would go on to regale audiences with his unique comic skills.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 20, 2024
Dan Kois is here to regale us with stories from a different era.
From Slate • Jun. 20, 2023
In the meantime, Dottie will regale the team, the pub and pretty much anyone else within earshot with substantially exaggerated tales of Ted’s youth.
From New York Times • May 24, 2023
She went on to regale them with stories about circus life—hanging from trapezes, leaping through flaming hoops, getting shot from cannons—until gradually Sticky cheered up, and the matter of parents was dropped.
From "The Mysterious Benedict Society" by Trenton Lee Stewart
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.
