entertain
verb
en·ter·tain
ˌen-tər-ˈtān 
entertained; entertaining; entertains
1
: to show hospitality to
entertain guests
2
: to provide entertainment for
3
a
: to keep, hold, or maintain in the mind
I entertain grave doubts about her sincerity.
b
: to receive and take into consideration
refused to entertain our plea
4
: to play against (an opposing team) on one's home field or court
: to provide entertainment especially for guests
entertainer
noun
Examples of entertain in a Sentence
They like to entertain their friends at their summer home.
Much of his job as a salesman involves entertaining clients.
Jugglers were on hand to entertain the crowd.
Our father entertained us with stories.
Our father's stories entertained us.
Recent Examples on the Web
Not a song to entertain, not a song to educate, not a song to uplift, just a song to be derogatory about the other artists.
—
Kyle Denis, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2024
Finding screen-free ways to keep the kids entertained with age-appropriate toys over the summer can be a challenge.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 24 Apr. 2024
The Jayhawks last weekend on a recruiting visit entertained Rylan Griffen, a 6-foot-6 junior-to-be shooting guard/small forward from Richardson, Texas, who averaged 11.2 points a game for Final Four participant Alabama last season.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2024
But even if the company doesn’t adopt my personal vision for a Tomorrowland reoriented around clean energy and sustainability, Disney could pepper its parks with climate-friendly flourishes that entertain and enlighten — and enhance the guest experience.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
The traditional layout offers the best of both worlds: large spaces to entertain large groups of family and friends, as well as cozy and secluded rooms.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024
The dishes will be paired with Baja wines and local trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos will entertain.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
There are no live dealer games yet, but those jackpot reels will keep you plenty entertained.
Casino Bonuses and Promotions: 4.7/5
Ready to boost your chances when playing progressive jackpots?
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
At one point, Pomerantz even entertained the idea of treating Cohen and Trump’s payment to Daniels as an act of extortion by the adult-film actress—a way of painting Trump as both victim and perp in the same case.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2024
Kyle Denis, Billboard, 25 Apr. 2024
Finding screen-free ways to keep the kids entertained with age-appropriate toys over the summer can be a challenge.
—Dorian Smith-Garcia, Parents, 24 Apr. 2024
The Jayhawks last weekend on a recruiting visit entertained Rylan Griffen, a 6-foot-6 junior-to-be shooting guard/small forward from Richardson, Texas, who averaged 11.2 points a game for Final Four participant Alabama last season.
—Gary Bedore, Kansas City Star, 23 Apr. 2024
But even if the company doesn’t adopt my personal vision for a Tomorrowland reoriented around clean energy and sustainability, Disney could pepper its parks with climate-friendly flourishes that entertain and enlighten — and enhance the guest experience.
—Sammy Roth, Los Angeles Times, 23 Apr. 2024
The traditional layout offers the best of both worlds: large spaces to entertain large groups of family and friends, as well as cozy and secluded rooms.
—Emma Reynolds, Robb Report, 22 Apr. 2024
The dishes will be paired with Baja wines and local trumpeter Gilbert Castellanos will entertain.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 19 Apr. 2024
There are no live dealer games yet, but those jackpot reels will keep you plenty entertained.
Casino Bonuses and Promotions: 4.7/5
Ready to boost your chances when playing progressive jackpots?
—Sponsored Content, The Mercury News, 16 Apr. 2024
At one point, Pomerantz even entertained the idea of treating Cohen and Trump’s payment to Daniels as an act of extortion by the adult-film actress—a way of painting Trump as both victim and perp in the same case.
—Eric Lach, The New Yorker, 14 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'entertain.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Dictionary Entries Near entertain
Cite this Entry
“Entertain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entertain. Accessed 30 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
entertain
verb
en·ter·tain
ˌent-ər-ˈtān
1
: to receive and provide for as host : have as a guest
entertain friends over the weekend
2
a
: to provide entertainment
b
: to be a source of entertainment for
entertained us with stories
3
: to have in mind : consider
entertained thoughts of quitting
entertainer
noun
ˌen-tər-ˈtā-nər
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