entertain
to hold the attention of pleasantly or agreeably; divert; amuse.
to have as a guest; provide food, lodging, etc., for; show hospitality to.
to admit into the mind; consider: He never entertained such ideas.
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.
to exercise hospitality; entertain company; provide entertainment for guests: They loved to talk, dance, and entertain.
Origin of entertain
1synonym study For entertain
Other words for entertain
Opposites for entertain
Other words from entertain
- o·ver·en·ter·tained, adjective
- pre·en·ter·tain, verb (used with object)
- un·en·ter·tained, adjective
- well-en·ter·tained, adjective
Words Nearby entertain
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024
How to use entertain in a sentence
I know how to do other things, but my gifts, my passion, what God has given me is to entertain and make people feel good and change lives in the sense of through what it is that God gave me.
It does not “think” before speaking, insofar as this involves entertaining an idea and matching words to the components of a proposition that expresses it.
Welcome to the Next Level of Bullshit - Issue 89: The Dark Side | Raphaël Millière | September 9, 2020 | NautilusInstead I spend that time feeding and entertaining my kids, walking my dogs, chasing deadlines, taking meetings, and fixing stuff around the house.
I Don't Fear Scorching Runs with This Hydration Belt | Jakob Schiller | August 28, 2020 | Outside OnlineThis week’s curated collection of movies to keep you entertained during quarantine focuses on the leading ladies—a group of outstanding performers who were nominated for Academy Awards for their work in recent LGBTQ-themed movies.
It’s, therefore, no surprise that many consumers have sought some relief from reality, with lighthearted and entertaining becoming more popular than ever before.
Lessons from lockdown: Four content types that users really engage with | Edward Coram James | July 20, 2020 | Search Engine Watch
Does any of that come from being attuned to the pressure of that need to entertain?
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination | Mindy Farabee | December 26, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“The entertainers still entertain—and the people still have to get an ass-kicking to go out and vote,” Cosby said.
When Bill Cosby N-Bombed the Congressional Black Caucus | Asawin Suebsaeng | December 2, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTCreator Rod Serling was compelled by the need “not to just entertain but to enlighten.”
How a War-Weary Vet Created ‘The Twilight Zone’ | Rich Goldstein | November 13, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST“Nakarin loves to cook and I love to entertain,” says Yariv.
So many families come that Vargas has arranged for a clown to entertain the kids.
America’s Fastest Growing Death Holiday Is From Mexico | Michael Schulson | November 1, 2014 | THE DAILY BEASTWe resolved to do our best to merit the good opinion which we thus supposed them to entertain of us.
A fancy came into my head that I would entertain the king and queen with an English tune upon this instrument.
Gulliver's Travels | Jonathan SwiftDavid Arden's immensely increased wealth enables him to entertain very magnificent plans for this young man.
Checkmate | Joseph Sheridan Le FanuBeside this work there were friends to entertain, half the girldom in Dunellen were her friends or had been at some time.
Tessa Wadsworth's Discipline | Jennie M. DrinkwaterWhile the white visitors were staying here, the King of Cebu did all he could to entertain them.
Alila, Our Little Philippine Cousin | Mary Hazelton Wade
British Dictionary definitions for entertain
/ (ˌɛntəˈteɪn) /
to provide amusement for (a person or audience)
to show hospitality to (guests)
(tr) to hold in the mind: to entertain an idea
Origin of entertain
1Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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