to hold the attention of pleasantly or agreeably; divert; amuse.
to have as a guest; provide food, lodging, etc., for; show hospitality to.
to admit into the mind; consider: He never entertained such ideas.
to hold in the mind; harbor; cherish: They secretly entertained thoughts of revenge.
Archaic. to maintain or keep up.
Obsolete. to give admittance or reception to; receive.
verb (used without object)
to exercise hospitality; entertain company; provide entertainment for guests: They loved to talk, dance, and entertain.
Origin of entertain
1425–75; late Middle English entertenen to hold mutually <Middle French entretenir ≪ Vulgar Latin *intertenēre, equivalent to Latin inter-inter- + tenēre to hold
SYNONYMS FOR entertain
1 beguile, regale.
SEE SYNONYMS FOR entertain ON THESAURUS.COM
ANTONYMS FOR entertain
1 bore.
3 reject.
SEE ANTONYMS FOR entertain ON THESAURUS.COM
synonym study for entertain
1. See amuse.
OTHER WORDS FROM entertain
o·ver·en·ter·tained,adjectivepre·en·ter·tain,verb (used with object)un·en·ter·tained,adjectivewell-en·ter·tained,adjective
Words nearby entertain
Enterprise Allowance Scheme, Enterprise Investment Scheme, enterpriser, enterprise zone, enterprising, entertain, entertainer, entertaining, entertainment, enter the lists, enthalpy
I know how to do other things, but my gifts, my passion, what God has given me is to entertain and make people feel good and change lives in the sense of through what it is that God gave me.
Sitcom Queen Tichina Arnold Got Funny to Avoid Spankings|Pallabi Munsi|September 10, 2020|Ozy
It does not “think” before speaking, insofar as this involves entertaining an idea and matching words to the components of a proposition that expresses it.
Welcome to the Next Level of Bullshit - Issue 89: The Dark Side|Raphaël Millière|September 9, 2020|Nautilus
Instead I spend that time feeding and entertaining my kids, walking my dogs, chasing deadlines, taking meetings, and fixing stuff around the house.
I Don't Fear Scorching Runs with This Hydration Belt|Jakob Schiller|August 28, 2020|Outside Online
This week’s curated collection of movies to keep you entertained during quarantine focuses on the leading ladies—a group of outstanding performers who were nominated for Academy Awards for their work in recent LGBTQ-themed movies.
FROM THE VAULTS: Best Actress edition|Brian T. Carney|August 20, 2020|Washington Blade
It’s, therefore, no surprise that many consumers have sought some relief from reality, with lighthearted and entertaining becoming more popular than ever before.
Lessons from lockdown: Four content types that users really engage with|Edward Coram James|July 20, 2020|Search Engine Watch
Does any of that come from being attuned to the pressure of that need to entertain?
Daphne Merkin on Lena Dunham, Book Criticism, and Self-Examination|Mindy Farabee|December 26, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Creator Rod Serling was compelled by the need “not to just entertain but to enlighten.”
How a War-Weary Vet Created ‘The Twilight Zone’|Rich Goldstein|November 13, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Nakarin loves to cook and I love to entertain,” says Yariv.
The Airbnb of Home-Cooked Meals|Itay Hod|November 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
So many families come that Vargas has arranged for a clown to entertain the kids.
America’s Fastest Growing Death Holiday Is From Mexico|Michael Schulson|November 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
From the above, it cannot be said that Oscar Pistorius did not entertain a genuine belief that he was under threat.
Will Oscar Pistorius Still Get Jail Time?|Kelly Berold|September 12, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The hut was large enough for her and her sister, only too small to entertain visitors.
Ishmael|Mrs. E. D. E. N. Southworth
The footman was fond of reading, and used often in the evening to entertain the other servants with some amusing book.
Favorite Fairy Tales|Logan Marshall
It must be confessed that I have also more knowledge of men and the secret contempt—it must be—the best of them entertain for us.
Diana of the Crossways, Complete|George Meredith
In fact, their descendants to the present day, even in England, entertain the same ideas.
William the Conqueror|Jacob Abbott
They paid their bill and left the place with a much greater respect for Chinese cookery than they had ever expected to entertain.
Bert Wilson, Wireless Operator|J. W. Duffield
British Dictionary definitions for entertain
entertain
/ (ˌɛntəˈteɪn) /
verb
to provide amusement for (a person or audience)
to show hospitality to (guests)
(tr)to hold in the mindto entertain an idea
Word Origin for entertain
C15: from Old French entretenir, from entre- mutually + tenir to hold, from Latin tenēre