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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
Randall Colburn, Entertainment Weekly, 18 Oct. 2025
Barry Humphries, a longtime friend of Birley’s, did his Dame Edna schtick on both nights, regaling the audience with tales of a love affair with his pal.
—Samantha Conti, Footwear News, 18 Oct. 2025
The window dresser, Luis Molina, would regale his fellow prisoner, Valentín Arrugui, with each plot twist and turn.
—David Fear, Rolling Stone, 11 Oct. 2025
Throughout the games, Snoop will appear alongside NBC Olympics host Mike Tirico and regale primetime audiences with his unique perspective on the goings on in Northern Italy during the winter games.
—Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 29 Sep. 2025
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Cite this Entry
“Regale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regale. Accessed 22 Oct. 2025.
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