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
During the 45-minute cruise, Ferguson regaled us with stories of the inn’s past. 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

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

Podcast

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.

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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