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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
Bruce Finley, Denver Post, 23 Nov. 2025
The teaser begins by regaling the audience with all the ways the original Pump Rulers entertained us through the years.
—Jason P. Frank, Vulture, 3 Nov. 2025
His father, a veteran of World War II, was a burial vault salesman and would often take Fitzpatrick with him on business trips, regaling him with tales of the city.
—News Desk, Artforum, 23 Oct. 2025
Fred Astaire, in his final film role, stars as the head of the Chowder Society, a New England men's club in which members regale each other with spooky stories while sipping brandy.
—Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Regale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regale. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.
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