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
Chattanooga, Tennessee Equal parts city escape and nature retreat, Chattanooga offers tons of activities to keep your group entertained, plus great food and plenty of art.
—
Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 23 Mar. 2025
Rahill has an endless supply of stories to entertain his passengers, from dicey black bear encounters to scraping mites off his hand with a knife after handling an armadillo.
—Uma Raja, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2025
The balance between entertaining the audience and adhering to production constraints was a delicate one, highlighting the complex relationship between performers and management in WWE.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
All that green fire should keep the kids entertained, but don’t expect this spell to outlast the closing credits.
—Staff Author, EW.com, 22 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for entertain
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Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 23 Mar. 2025
Rahill has an endless supply of stories to entertain his passengers, from dicey black bear encounters to scraping mites off his hand with a knife after handling an armadillo.
—Uma Raja, Sun Sentinel, 23 Mar. 2025
The balance between entertaining the audience and adhering to production constraints was a delicate one, highlighting the complex relationship between performers and management in WWE.
—Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 22 Mar. 2025
All that green fire should keep the kids entertained, but don’t expect this spell to outlast the closing credits.
—Staff Author, EW.com, 22 Mar. 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 17 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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