entertaining 1 of 2

adjective

ˌen-tər-ˈtā-niŋ How to pronounce entertaining (audio)
Definition of entertainingnext
as in amusing
providing amusement or enjoyment a list of entertaining things to do on a snow day

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

entertaining

2 of 2

verb

present participle of entertain
1
as in regaling
to cause (someone) to pass the time agreeably occupied entertain the kids while I go and prepare dinner

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in considering
to give serious and careful thought to have you ever entertained the thought that you could be wrong?

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in having
to keep in one's mind or heart I don't entertain the hope of ever getting a girl like that to go out with me

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of entertaining
Adjective
Kylian Mbappé finished with 10 goals—good enough to earn the Golden Boot as the top scorer in the tournament— including two in the wildly entertaining third place game on Saturday, which England won 6-4 over France. — Sean Gregory, Time, 20 July 2026 Monelle Totah is the co-founder of Hudson Grace, an entertaining and decor brand. — Colleen Sullivan, Better Homes & Gardens, 20 July 2026
Verb
With Love, Meghan followed the Duchess of Sussex showcasing her passion for cooking, entertaining guests at her home and gardening. — Gabrielle Rockson, PEOPLE, 15 July 2026 That sequence would be remembered as one of the more famous, hilarious stretches in recent golf history, maybe even the core memory of Spieth’s ever-entertaining prime. — Brody Miller, New York Times, 14 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for entertaining
Recent Examples of Synonyms for entertaining
  1. amusing
  2. regaling
  3. considering
  4. having
  5. fun
  6. debating
  7. holding
  8. enjoyable
Adjective
  • The wonky physics can't be too wonky, because janky controls can go from amusing to annoying pretty quickly.
    — Jason Bennett, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026
  • There’s also plenty of family time captured, including an amusing bye week trip to Manhattan — complete with a subway trip — to watch two of Emily’s brothers run the New York Marathon.
    — John Romano, The Orlando Sentinel, 19 July 2026
Definition of amusing
Verb
  • One morning earlier this week, Thomas Lupo, the president and CEO of the American Wood Column Corporation, was in his office regaling two young entrepreneurs with tales of his 110-year-old family business.
    — Anne Kadet, Curbed, 12 June 2026
  • His mind was as sharp as a tack, again regaling us with amazing hockey stories.
    — Pierre LeBrun, New York Times, 5 June 2026
Definition of regaling
Verb
  • In his July memo, Blume said the company is considering axing a further 50,000 roles globally and closing four factories in Germany.
    — Hanna Ziady, CNN Money, 24 July 2026
  • This Fire sign often has strong opinions about how things should be done and could in turn take control of every situation without considering whether anyone else wants to follow their lead.
    — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 23 July 2026
Definition of considering
Verb
  • Over the past several months, officials have been rebuilding much of the tariff regime that existed before the ruling, this time by relying on authorities that trade lawyers generally view as having a firmer legal foundation.
    — Elisabeth Buchwald, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
  • Some conditions are risk factors for developing others – for instance, having Type 2 diabetes raises the likelihood of cardiovascular disease, and both are risk factors for dementia.
    — Minakshi Raj, The Conversation, 24 July 2026
Definition of having
Adjective
  • It’s meant to be a fun exercise in preseason excitement-building … no need for hurt feelings.
    — Tyler Estep, AJC.com, 20 July 2026
  • Getting out on the water is one of the most fun parts of any camping trip, and there’s no better way to do it than with this inflatable stand-up paddleboard.
    — BestReviews, Chicago Tribune, 20 July 2026
Definition of fun
Verb
  • At the exact moment autonomous AI is dramatically increasing the capability, speed and sophistication of cyber threats, policymakers are debating whether organizations require less independent verification that their security controls actually work.
    — Emil Sayegh, Forbes.com, 23 July 2026
  • Some are debating whether to continue to work with the tech giant at all.
    — Victor Tangermann, Futurism, 23 July 2026
Definition of debating
Verb
  • Trainees can practice their aim and stance, and holding and firing a handgun are naturally part of it.
    — Shannon Tyler, Idaho Statesman, 25 July 2026
  • The 30-minute video posted by Pfister of the Zimmerman’s Meat Market incident from earlier this year shows him, his wife, Pam, and another man holding their cameras to the deli’s front window, capturing what was visible inside.
    — Kyung Lah, CNN Money, 25 July 2026
Definition of holding
Adjective
  • The garden's pond reflects the lovely surrounding scenery, and the harmonious beauty is enjoyable with every step and across the changing seasons.
    — Hiroshige Yazawa Japan News, Arkansas Online, 19 July 2026
  • Furniture stains and splotches are the last thing anyone wants to think about when curating the perfect domestic space, but there’s nothing remotely enjoyable about discolored blobs on furniture.
    — Bridget Reed Morawski, Architectural Digest, 17 July 2026
Definition of enjoyable

Browse Nearby Words

entertainers
entertaining
entertainment
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Entertaining.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/entertaining. Accessed 26 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on entertaining

Nglish: Translation of entertaining for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of aerie

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Do you 'say your piece' or 'say your peace'?

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

The Words of the Week - Jul 24

Why do we say 'fly off the handle'?
See More

Popular

See More

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
chain-question-mark
Missing Link Quiz July 2026 Five seconds to figure out the word that fits bot...
See All