Synonyms 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.

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

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

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

1. entertain

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

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

Princeton's WordNetRate these synonyms: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

Matched Categories

1. • Contemplate
   • Feel
   • Socialize

Dictionary of English SynonymesRate these synonyms:1.0 / 1 vote

1. entertainverb

   Synonyms:
   lodge, treat hospitably, show hospitality to, receive as a guest

2. entertainverb

   Synonyms:
   feed, maintain, support

3. entertainverb

   Synonyms:
   hold, cherish, harbor

4. entertainverb

   Synonyms:
   take into consideration

5. entertainverb

   Synonyms:
   divert, amuse, please

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

1. entertainverb

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

PPDB, the paraphrase databaseRate these paraphrases:0.0 / 0 votes

1. List of paraphrases for "entertain":

   amuse, distract, entertaining, hear

How to pronounce entertain?

How to say entertain in sign language?

Words popularity by usage frequency

How to use entertain in a sentence?

1. Gomez Fernandez:

   His ultimate intention was to entertain audiences in a wholesome way.

2. Bertrand Russell:

   I think we ought always to entertain our opinions with some measure of doubt. I shouldn't wish people dogmatically to believe any philosophy, not even mine.

3. Yahya Jammeh:

   As an independent Muslim country, we will not be tied to any bloc that promotes decadence and ungodly behavior, we are no longer going to entertain any dialogue with the European Union, either directly or through the sub-regional, regional and international blocs of which we are members.

4. Joms Salvador:

   You don't have to kiss that woman if you want to entertain people, the fact that you thought that kissing the woman would entertain people...that's something really sick.

5. Bala Garba:

   Gambia's government will not tolerate any negotiation on the issue of homosexuality with the EU or any international block or nation, we are no longer going to entertain any dialogue with the EU either directly or through sub-regional, regional and international blocks to which we are members.