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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.”
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Examples of regale in a Sentence
Stacey Leasca, Travel + Leisure, 4 Nov. 2024
Judi Dench recently regaled The Times with a bit of naughty talk directed her way by her African grey parrot, Sweetie.
—Ryan Coleman, EW.com, 6 Dec. 2024
There were plenty of laughs as Kelley, who was a movie buff, would regale them both with humorous stories about film stars and others, Blanchard said.
—Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press, 15 Nov. 2024
Big Jim uses a framing device of Jim and Huck, now in their 90s, sitting together on the front porch at a family reunion in the 1920s, regaling a gaggle of grandchildren with their long-ago adventures.
—Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near regale
Cite this Entry
“Regale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regale. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.
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