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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
News Desk, Artforum, 23 Oct. 2025
But his film career began in earnest with 2020's Scare Me, a stylish comedy about writers regaling each story with spooky tales in an isolated cabin during a power outage.
—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
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Cite this Entry
“Regale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regale. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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