entertain

verb en·ter·tain \ ˌen-tər-ˈtān \

Definition of entertain

transitive verb

1 a archaic :maintain

b obsolete :receive

2 :to show hospitality to

entertain guests

3 a :to keep, hold, or maintain in the mind

I entertain grave doubts about her sincerity

b :to receive and take into consideration

refused to entertain our plea

4 :to provide entertainment for

5 :to play against (an opposing team) on one's home field or court

intransitive verb

:to provide entertainment especially for guests

—

entertainer

noun

See entertain defined for English-language learners

See entertain defined for kids

Examples of entertain in a Sentence

They like to entertain their friends at their summer home.
Much of his job as a salesman involves entertaining clients.
Jugglers were on hand to entertain the crowd.
Our father entertained us with stories.
Our father's stories entertained us.

Recent Examples of entertain from the Web

Indoor-outdoor spaces to entertain, high-end gas cooking ranges and rainfall shower heads.

— ely portillo, charlotteobserver, "House-flipping is hottest in a decade. But it’s harder than it looks on HGTV.," 23 Aug. 2017
Before voting unanimously to contract with BWP & Associates to run the superintendent search, board members considered three other search firms and also entertained having district officials handle the search, said board president Phil Pritzker.

— ronnie wachter, chicagotribune.com, "Wheeling school district begins search for new superintendent," 17 Aug. 2017
Creating an area for entertaining or building a front porch or sitting area (which will also enhance your neighborhood’s community spirit) will reduce water consumption by replacing turf with hardscape.

— pat setter, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Beautify your yard with free WaterSmart program," 12 Aug. 2017
Photo by David G.Kang At first, Lambert says, his classes were filled with mostly men or older women who entertained.

— by ellise pierce, star-telegram, "Cowboy Cuisine: Why this cooking style still matters to these Texan chefs (with recipes!)," 2 Aug. 2017
Despite this, no contact is yet to be made between the two clubs for the striker, and Albion would likely only entertain a big bid for Rondon considering the small size of Tony Pulis' squad.

— SI.com, "West Ham's Continued Striker Hunt Leads to West Brom Front Man Salomon Rondon," 19 July 2017
The inability to do anything and then to cut your own throats in frustration, while undeniably entertaining, is not a formula for successful governing.

— charles p. pierce, Esquire, "Now They're Eating Their Own," 19 July 2017
The bearded, portly Johnston entertained the crowd at last year's Open, nearly upstaging a tremendous duel between Phil Mickelson and eventual winner Henrik Stenson in the final round before finishing eighth.

— Bloomberg.com, "Beef And Brains Are on the Menu At the British Open," 18 July 2017
Faith & Flower South Park, $$$ A grand restaurant that’s seemingly custom-made for entertaining guests of L.A. Live, Faith & Flower hits hard with dishes that span the flavor spectrum.

— garrett snyder, Los Angeles Magazine, "The Los Angeles Magazine Hot Restaurant List for July 2017," 18 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'entertain.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of entertain

Middle English entertinen, from Middle French entretenir, from entre- inter- + tenir to hold — more at tenable

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 15th century

See Words from the same year

entertain Synonyms

Synonyms

disport, divert, amuse, regale, solace

Related Words

absorb, busy, distract, engage, engross, immerse, interest, involve, occupy; beguile, bewitch, captivate, charm, delight, enchant, enthrall (or enthral), fascinate; grip, hypnotize, intrigue, mesmerize; coddle, gratify, humor, indulge, mollycoddle, pamper, please, pleasure, spoil; appease, comfort, conciliate, console, content, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, propitiate, soothe

Near Antonyms

bore, jade; drain, enervate, exhaust, fatigue, tire, wear, wear out, weary; aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, chafe, disturb, exasperate, fret, gall, grate, harass, harry, irk, nettle, peeve, perturb, pester, pique, upset, vex

Synonym Discussion of entertain

amuse, divert, entertain mean to pass or cause to pass the time pleasantly. amuse suggests that one's attention is engaged lightly.

- amuse yourselves while I make dinner

divert implies distracting attention from worry or routine occupation especially by something funny.

- a light comedy to divert the tired businessman

entertain suggests supplying amusement by specially contrived methods.

- a magician entertaining children at a party

ENTERTAIN Defined for English Language Learners

entertain

verb

Definition of entertain for English Language Learners

: to have people as guests in your home or in a public place (such as a restaurant)
: to perform for (an audience) : to provide amusement for (someone) by singing, acting, etc.
: to provide or be entertainment for (someone)