entertain Hear it!

entertain definition

en·ter·tain (ent′ər tān′)

transitive verb

  1. Archaic to keep up; maintain
  2. to hold the interest of and give pleasure to; divert; amuse
  3. to give hospitality to; have as a guest
  4. to allow oneself to think about; have in mind; consider to entertain an idea

Etymology: ME entretinen < OFr entretenir, to maintain, hold together < entre (L inter), between + tenir < L tenere, to hold: see thin

intransitive verb

to give hospitality to guests

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

entertain Synonyms

entertain

v.

  1. To keep amused

    amuse, divert, cheer, please, interest, enliven, delight, beguile, regale, engross, occupy, enthrall, charm, captivate, recreate, inspire, inspirit, stimulate, exhilarate, gratify, satisfy, humor, distract, indulge, solace, relax, make merry, disport, comfort, put in good humor, elate, gladden, tickle.

    Antonyms tire, bore*, weary*, depress. *

  2. To act as host or hostess

    receive, invite, treat, regale, recreate, gratify, feed, wine and dine, host, chaperon, give a party, have people over, have company, be at home, keep open house, do the honors, welcome, give a warm reception, make welcome, show hospitality to, receive with open arms, roll out the red carpet, kill the fatted calf, throw a party*.

    Antonyms neglect, ignore, banish.

  3. To consider

    contemplate, have in mind, harbor, cherish; see consider 1, 3, think 1. See syn. study at amuse.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

entertain Usage Examples

Object

  • crowd: There will also be an exclusive DJ set from Bloc Party who are taking time out from the studio to entertain the party crowd.

Subject

  • magician: All the children were entertained by a magician, and Father Christmas made a surprise guest appearance to hand out presents.

Modifying Another Word

  • royally: We were royally entertained this evening by our President Peter Jones.

Preposition: at

  • banquet: He was entertained at public banquets, attended large gatherings, and had long private interviews with leading statesmen.

Preposition: for

  • hour: Sudoku is an addictive puzzle game that will keep you entertained for hours.

Preposition: by

  • magician: All the children were entertained by a magician, and Father Christmas made a surprise guest appearance to hand out presents.
entertain usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

entertain quotes

It's better to entertain an idea than to take it home to live with you for the rest of your life.

-Jarrell, Randall

entertain quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Link to this page:

Cite this page:

MLA Style

"entertain." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/entertain>

APA Style

entertain. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/entertain

Comments:

Please or Register to post a comment