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.”
Synonyms
Examples of regale in a Sentence
Gisela Williams, Travel + Leisure, 16 Oct. 2023
Also in the interview, Davis regales the Pop Shop team with stories about five of the biggest artists he’s worked with over the decades: Whitney Houston, Dionne Warwick, Prince, P!nk and Usher.
—Keith Caulfield, Billboard, 24 Oct. 2023
As commodore, Hoard gets to share the Queen Mary with visitors, taking them on tours and regaling them with stories of her past, present and future.
—Catherine Garcia, The Week, 3 Sep. 2023
On Thursday evening at 7 pm, on the first proper day of New York Fashion Week, Nordstrom regaled the launch of Margherita Maccapani Missoni’s surnamesake label, Maccapani, among friends, lifelong business partners, and the fashion set.
—Cortne Bonilla, Vogue, 8 Sep. 2023
During a social-studies unit about families, the teacher reported, my son had regaled his classmates with tales of his eighteen-year-old brother, who picks him up every afternoon at dismissal.
—Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 5 Sep. 2023
In a Rose Garden announcement, Clinton regaled the crowd by noting Richardson had just returned from a rebel chieftain's hut in Sudan.
—Chris Kenning, USA TODAY, 4 Sep. 2023
At two and a half hours, the road trip was barely long enough to regale my family with tales of McCulloch misdeeds.
—Mary Winston Nicklin, Condé Nast Traveler, 13 Sep. 2023
Duarte said Santos regaled her with stories of success and wealth.
—Marina Dias, Washington Post, 31 Aug. 2023
See More
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
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
Verb
1642, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2
Noun
1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Phrases Containing regale
Podcast
Get Word of the Day delivered to your inbox!
Dictionary Entries Near regale
Cite this Entry
“Regale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regale. Accessed 5 Dec. 2023.
Copy Citation
Kids Definition
regale
verb
More from Merriam-Webster on regale
Nglish: Translation of regale for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of regale for Arabic Speakers
Share