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Regale has been an English verb since the early half of the 1600s, having been adapted from the French word régaler. That word traces back to the Middle French verb galer, which means “to have a good time.” (Gala, meaning “a festive celebration,” is from the same source.) Today, regale still applies when someone is entertaining or amusing another, especially by sharing stories. Regale also sometimes functions as a noun meaning “a sumptuous feast.” An early use of the noun appears in the preface to a 1732 dramatic poem by George Granville: “An English stomach … will rise hungry from a regale of nothing but sweet-meats.”
Examples of regale in a Sentence
Dennis Perkins, EW.com, 16 Feb. 2025
The defense put on a dozen witnesses, including Madigan himself, who regaled the jury with tales from his strict, Southwest Side Irish Catholic upbringing and flatly denied any wrongdoing.
—Chicago Tribune, 17 Jan. 2025
Emily regaled the group with explanations of fractals and infinity paradoxes.
—Hazlitt, 9 Dec. 2024
The cousin from Idaho will regale Boise friends back home with travel tales of entering a Miami speakeasy.
—Lilian Raji, Forbes, 2 Jan. 2025
See All Example Sentences for regale
Cite this Entry
“Regale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regale. Accessed 1 Mar. 2025.
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