Antonyms for entertain
ˌɛn tərˈteɪnen·ter·tain

English Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:4.5 / 2 votes

1. entertain

   To entertain, in the sense here considered, is to engage and pleasantly occupy the attention; to amuse is to occupy the attention in an especially bright and cheerful way, often with that which excites merriment or laughter; as, he entertained us with an amusing story. To divert is to turn from serious thoughts or laborious pursuits to something that lightly and agreeably occupies the mind; one may be entertained or amused who has nothing serious or laborious from which to be diverted. To recreate, literally to re-create, is to engage mind or body in some pleasing activity that restores strength and energy for serious work. To beguile is, as it were, to cheat into cheer and comfort by something that insensibly draws thought or feeling away from pain or disquiet. We beguile a weary hour, cheer the despondent, divert the preoccupied, enliven a dull evening or company, gratify our friends' wishes, entertain, interest, please a listening audience, occupy idle time, disport ourselves when merry, recreate when worn with toil; we amuse ourselves or others with whatever pleasantly passes the time without special exertion, each according to his taste.

   Antonyms:
   annoy, bore, busy, disquiet, distract, disturb, tire, weary

   Synonyms:
   amuse, beguile, cheer, delight, disport, divert, enliven, gratify, interest, occupy, please, recreate

Complete Dictionary of Synonyms and AntonymsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. entertain

   Antonyms:
   eject, exclude, deny, debar, annoy, weary, bore, tire

   Synonyms:
   harbor, maintain, conceive, foster, receive, recreate, amuse

Matched Categories

1. • Contemplate
   • Feel
   • Socialize

Princeton's WordNetRate these antonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. entertainverb

   provide entertainment for

   Synonyms:
   flirt with, think about, nurse, harbour, toy with, hold, think of, harbor

2. entertain, think of, toy with, flirt with, think aboutverb

   take into consideration, have in view

   "He entertained the notion of moving to South America"

   Synonyms:
   dream up, mean, harbour, concoct, think about, repute, esteem, hold, hatch, remember, think up, harbor, have in mind, regard as, flirt with, look on, toy with, nurse, look upon, think of, take to be

3. harbor, harbour, hold, entertain, nurseverb

   maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)

   "bear a grudge"; "entertain interesting notions"; "harbor a resentment"

   Synonyms:
   accommodate, book, retain, moderate, view as, support, apply, hold back, harbour, defend, take hold, bind, suck, deem, hold up, toy with, arrest, breastfeed, take, have, concord, think about, check, make, take for, go for, throw, defy, control, harbor, keep, suckle, obligate, carry, give, adjudge, nurse, oblige, curb, hold, lactate, confine, have got, restrain, wet-nurse, withstand, agree, hold in, flirt with, halt, contain, think of, concur, maintain, guard, shield, keep back, sustain, prevail, reserve, admit, obtain, declare, give suck, bear

Synonyms, Antonyms & Associated WordsRate these synonyms:0.0 / 0 votes

1. entertainverb

   Synonyms:
   divert, amuse, please, junket, beguile, cheer, harbor, hold, lodge

How to use entertain in a sentence?

1. Mahdi Karera:

   There has never been a marionette theater in Gaza, puppets have a role: they entertain people - children and adults. They promote positive values and change negative ones.

2. Marcus Aurelius Antoninus:

   The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts, therefore guard accordingly and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue, and reasonable nature.

3. Ruth Lawton-Owen:

   This has been our best ever year. There is definitely confidence coming back, the market is feeling comfortable to entertain again, but there is a sense of responsibility that has remained.

4. Martha Grimes, from Hotel Paradise, a novel:

   Silence is a way of saying: we do not have to entertain each other; we are okay as we are.

5. Ali Dibadj:

   This certainly does suggest a more open stance by PepsiCo to entertain M&A, perhaps even with 3G.

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