Definition of: entertain

(en′tər·tān′) v.t.
1. To hold the attention of; amuse; divert.
2. To extend hospitality to; receive as a guest.
3. To take into consideration, as a proposal.
4. To keep or bear in mind; maintain: to entertain a grudge.
5. Obs. To keep up; maintain.
—v.i.
6. To receive and care for guests: to entertain lavishly. [<F entretenir <entre- between (<L inter-) + tenir <tenere hold]
—en′ter·tain′·a·ble adjective
—en′ter·tain′er noun Synonyms: amuse, beguile, cheer, delight, disport, divert, enliven, gratify, interest, occupy, please, recreate. 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. See ACCOMMODATE, CHERISH, INTEREST. Antonyms: annoy, bore, busy, disquiet, distract, disturb, tire, weary.