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
en·ter·tain·er
¦entə(r)¦tānə(r)
plural -s
: one that entertains
the rest of the stories are mostly well-written slick-magazine entertainers—
Taliaferro Boatwright
Taliaferro Boatwright
specifically
: one who entertains professionally
sent a troupe of entertainers to the fighting front
Examples of entertain in a Sentence
Verb
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
Pol Ballús, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Of course, the pool will keep kids entertained on sunny days, but there is also access to bicycles, which can be used at any time to explore the hotel’s grounds, plus entertainment, such as cookie baking, especially for children.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2026
Things to do As a Disney resort, Aulani is geared toward families with activities like a lazy river and programming meant to entertain kids.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 June 2026
Scenes of entertaining brutality and entertaining inspiration are placed directly next to scenes with characters and situations that dissipate the pleasure of what came before.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for entertain
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Verb
Players trudged out of Atlanta Stadium (AKA Mercedes-Benz Stadium) with their eyes fixed on the floor, not even entertaining the thought of engaging with questions.
—Pol Ballús, New York Times, 16 June 2026
Of course, the pool will keep kids entertained on sunny days, but there is also access to bicycles, which can be used at any time to explore the hotel’s grounds, plus entertainment, such as cookie baking, especially for children.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 16 June 2026
Things to do As a Disney resort, Aulani is geared toward families with activities like a lazy river and programming meant to entertain kids.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 15 June 2026
Scenes of entertaining brutality and entertaining inspiration are placed directly next to scenes with characters and situations that dissipate the pleasure of what came before.
—Daniel Fienberg, HollywoodReporter, 15 June 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 18 Jun. 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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