entertain
verb
en·ter·tain
ˌen-tər-ˈtān 
ˌin-
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
The good ones merely mean to entertain.
—
Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
The home is geared toward entertaining with a grand, double-height entry flowing into a great room anchored by a sculptural bar.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
And the videos are being cranked out at a whirlwind pace, while parents are increasingly relying on using platforms like YouTube to keep their kids entertained.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Mar. 2026
View Outside’s longstanding literary storytelling tradition comes to life in audio with features that will both entertain and inform listeners.
—Outside Online, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for entertain
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Peter Tonguette, The Washington Examiner, 20 Mar. 2026
The home is geared toward entertaining with a grand, double-height entry flowing into a great room anchored by a sculptural bar.
—Abby Montanez, Robb Report, 19 Mar. 2026
And the videos are being cranked out at a whirlwind pace, while parents are increasingly relying on using platforms like YouTube to keep their kids entertained.
—Frank Landymore, Futurism, 19 Mar. 2026
View Outside’s longstanding literary storytelling tradition comes to life in audio with features that will both entertain and inform listeners.
—Outside Online, 18 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for entertain
Cite this Entry
“Entertain.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/entertain. Accessed 22 Mar. 2026.
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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