entertain
verb /ˌentəˈteɪn/
/ˌentərˈteɪn/
Verb Forms
| present simple I / you / we / they entertain | /ˌentəˈteɪn/ /ˌentərˈteɪn/ |
| he / she / it entertains | /ˌentəˈteɪnz/ /ˌentərˈteɪnz/ |
| past simple entertained | /ˌentəˈteɪnd/ /ˌentərˈteɪnd/ |
| past participle entertained | /ˌentəˈteɪnd/ /ˌentərˈteɪnd/ |
| -ing form entertaining | /ˌentəˈteɪnɪŋ/ /ˌentərˈteɪnɪŋ/ |
- [transitive, intransitive] to interest somebody or make somebody laugh in order to please them
- The aim of the series is both to entertain and inform.
- entertain somebody/yourself Afterwards live bands will entertain the crowd.
- Parents can relax while the kids entertain themselves in the outdoor playground.
- entertain somebody/yourself with something He entertained us for hours with his stories and jokes.
- They learned to entertain themselves with hobbies that required little or no money.
Extra Examples- Films can entertain and educate, make you laugh or cry.
- She entertained us with stories of her travels.
- We hired a magician to keep the children entertained.
- Two of the students kept the children entertained with a puppet show.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- thoroughly
- with
- entertain and educate
- entertain and enlighten
- entertain and inform
- …
- [intransitive, transitive] to invite people to eat or drink with you as your guests, especially in your home
- Do you entertain a lot?
- The Bradfords always entertained lavishly at Christmas.
- entertain somebody Barbecues are a favourite way of entertaining friends.
- entertain somebody to something They entertained us to lunch in their new house.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- lavishly
- to
- [transitive] (not used in the progressive tenses) entertain something (formal) to consider or allow yourself to think about an idea, a hope, a feeling, etc.
- He had entertained hopes of a reconciliation.
- to entertain a doubt/suspicion
Extra Examples- briefly entertaining hopes that he might keep the affair a secret
- She would make no promises, but was prepared to entertain the idea.
- I am amazed that such a crackpot scheme could be seriously entertained.
Oxford Collocations Dictionaryadverb- seriously
- briefly
- be prepared to
- be willing to
- refuse to
- …
Word Originlate Middle English: from French entretenir, based on Latin inter ‘among’ + tenere ‘to hold’. The word originally meant ‘ maintain, continue’, later ‘maintain in a certain condition, treat in a certain way’, also ‘show hospitality’ (late 15th cent.).