- 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.
What emerges is a book as entertaining as it is informative, a smartly crafted account that covers a broad swath of history’s most confounding puzzles and startling rediscoveries.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 14, 2026
In June, he added novelist to an already stacked resume with “Palmdale,” his incredibly entertaining dirtbag-noir debut about a PI and his estranged daughter reuniting over a case.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 14, 2026
I don’t know why all films now seem to be either based on superhero comics or incredibly worthy dirges, hoping to win awards without the collateral damage of entertaining anyone en route.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
The dining area continues the breezy beach aesthetic, with a large wooden table and multiple seating areas providing plenty of space for entertaining.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 13, 2026
But Penelope knew that if Lady Constance saw her entertaining an actual caller—and a young gentleman, mind you!—there would be no end to the hysteria.
From "The Hidden Gallery" by Maryrose Wood
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
