entertain

[ en-ter-teyn ]

verb (used with object)

1. to hold the attention of pleasantly or agreeably; divert; amuse.

   Synonyms: regale, beguile

   Antonyms: bore

2. to have as a guest; provide food, lodging, etc., for; show hospitality to.
3. to admit into the mind; consider:

   He never entertained such ideas.

   Antonyms: reject

4. to hold in the mind; harbor; cherish:

   They secretly entertained thoughts of revenge.

5. Archaic. to maintain or keep up.
6. Obsolete. to give admittance or reception to; receive.

verb (used without object)

1. to exercise hospitality; entertain company; provide entertainment for guests:

   They loved to talk, dance, and entertain.

entertain

/ ˌɛntəˈteɪn /

verb

1. to provide amusement for (a person or audience)
2. to show hospitality to (guests)
3. tr to hold in the mind

   to entertain an idea

Other Words From

• over·enter·tained adjective
• preen·ter·tain verb (used with object)
• unen·ter·tained adjective
• well-en·ter·tained adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of entertain¹

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”

Word History and Origins

Origin of entertain¹

C15: from Old French entretenir, from entre- mutually + tenir to hold, from Latin tenēre

Synonym Study

See amuse.

Example Sentences

Still, the fact the team is even entertaining a meeting with this year’s top free agent suggests the Dodgers, for all the spending they did last offseason, aren’t tightening their purse strings yet.

From Los Angeles Times

“It was a wildly entertaining, engaging script and I felt it had something fresh to it,” said Egerton.

From BBC

I’m hard-pressed to think of a single novel, provocative, brash, daring, or entertaining thing that Harris said during the last seven weeks of the campaign.

From Salon

“What I want to say to Mr. Wolf, if he reads this, is that his creative product has entertained me for hundreds of hours, And that comes through in a satirical nature.”

From Los Angeles Times

I will try to inform, entertain and most of all, make the readers’ couple of minutes of interaction here a positive one.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• beguile
• captivate
• charm
• cheer
• comfort
• delight
• distract
• enthrall
• gratify
• inspire
• please
• regale
• relax
• satisfy