regale

1 of 2

verb

re·​gale ri-ˈgāl How to pronounce regale (audio)
regaled; regaling

transitive verb

1
: to entertain sumptuously : feast with delicacies
2
: to give pleasure or amusement to
regaled us with tall tales

intransitive verb

: to feast oneself : feed

regale

2 of 2

noun

1
: a sumptuous feast
2
: a choice piece especially of food

Did you know?

Regale has been an English verb since the early half of the 1600s, having been adapted from the French word régaler. That word traces back to the Middle French verb galer, which means “to have a good time.” (Gala, meaning “a festive celebration,” is from the same source.) Today, regale still applies when someone is entertaining or amusing another, especially by sharing stories. Regale also sometimes functions as a noun meaning “a sumptuous feast.” An early use of the noun appears in the preface to a 1732 dramatic poem by George Granville: “An English stomach … will rise hungry from a regale of nothing but sweet-meats.”

Examples of regale in a Sentence

Verb regaled his grandchildren with stories of his time in Morocco an inn that nightly regales its guests with five-course meals prepared by a master chef Noun a regale to honor the retiring Supreme Court justice
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Harold watched and regaled as the Chiefs won the Super Bowl in 1970 and, always a passionate fan, passed down his knowledge and love for the team to his son, who was born shortly after that Super Bowl win. Alli Rosenbloom, CNN, 10 Feb. 2024 During the interview, Beato regaled Jarrett with an encyclopedic knowledge of his music, never once bothering to consult notes. John Blake, CNN, 25 Feb. 2024 One of the accompanying photos had a saxophone player regaling the passengers along the way. Irv Erdos, San Diego Union-Tribune, 18 Feb. 2024 Characters like Opera Man, where Sandler, draped in a cape, regaled Weekend Update with off-key, operatic renditions of the news of the day, weren't exactly tight political satire. Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 14 Dec. 2023 Later at the party, when Carlos regales attendees with a harrowing story of near death and a car bomb, the audience has been primed to react the same way. Lovia Gyarkye, The Hollywood Reporter, 26 Jan. 2024 Meyers kick-started the evening by regaling guests with the idea of how memorable the night would be if the 21,000-pound whale that was suspended from the ceiling fell mid-dinner. Maia Torres, Vogue, 1 Dec. 2023 The actor’s real-estate firm, Saunders & Associates, posted a video on January 16 featuring him regaling potential sellers (and the rest of us, watching with perplexed and slightly horrified faces) of the story of his time out East. Vulture, 17 Jan. 2024 The opening act for the evening, meantime, was crooner Paul Anka, who spoke of his love for the original Fontainebleau hotel in Miami, regaling the crowd with stories of his time spent there with Frank Sinatra and the Rat Pack. Tim Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'regale.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Verb

French régaler, from Middle French, from regale, noun

Noun

French régal, from Middle French regale, from re- + galer to have a good time — more at gallant entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1642, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of regale was in 1642

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Dictionary Entries Near regale

Cite this Entry

“Regale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regale. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

regale

verb
re·​gale
ri-ˈgā(ə)l
regaled; regaling
1
: to entertain richly
2
: to give pleasure or amusement to
3
: to feast oneself : feed

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