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
Families are very much the focus here, and the resort offers a wealth of activities to keep younger guests entertained (see: the indoor kids’ club and playground with multi-story slides, and the dedicated kids’ pool with water slides.
—
Nicole Trilivas, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
The film is mass at its core and magical in its storytelling, crafted to move and entertain audiences worldwide.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025
That's nothing new from Brown; the Tony-winning composer writes the kind of music that moves, endears, tickles, and entertains.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Trump has recently entertained an array of offers from U.S. businesses seeking to buy a share of the popular social media platform.
—Fatima Hussein, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for entertain
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Nicole Trilivas, Forbes.com, 8 Apr. 2025
The film is mass at its core and magical in its storytelling, crafted to move and entertain audiences worldwide.
—Naman Ramachandran, Variety, 8 Apr. 2025
That's nothing new from Brown; the Tony-winning composer writes the kind of music that moves, endears, tickles, and entertains.
—Shania Russell, EW.com, 7 Apr. 2025
Trump has recently entertained an array of offers from U.S. businesses seeking to buy a share of the popular social media platform.
—Fatima Hussein, Los Angeles Times, 5 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for entertain
Cite this Entry
“Entertain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entertain. Accessed 12 Apr. 2025.
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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