ENTERTAIN

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 Dictionary entry overview: What does entertain mean? 

• ENTERTAIN (verb)
  The verb ENTERTAIN has 3 senses:

1. provide entertainment for

2. take into consideration, have in view

3. maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)

  Familiarity information: ENTERTAIN used as a verb is uncommon.

 Dictionary entry details 

• ENTERTAIN (verb)

Present simple: I / you / we / they entertain    ... he / she / it entertains   
Past simple: entertained   
Past participle: entertained   
-ing form: entertaining   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Provide entertainment for

Classified under:

Verbs of political and social activities and events

Hypernyms (to "entertain" is one way to...):

socialise; socialize (take part in social activities; interact with others)

Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "entertain"):

host (be the host of or for)

amuse; disport; divert (occupy in an agreeable, entertaining or pleasant fashion)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s somebody

Sentence examples:

Sam cannot entertain Sue
The performance is likely to entertain Sue

Derivation:

entertainer (a person who tries to please or amuse)

entertainment (an activity that is diverting and that holds the attention)

Sense 2

Meaning:

Take into consideration, have in view

Classified under:

Verbs of thinking, judging, analyzing, doubting

Synonyms:

entertain; flirt with; think about; think of; toy with

Context example:

He entertained the notion of moving to South America

Hypernyms (to "entertain" is one way to...):

contemplate (consider as a possibility)

Sentence frames:

Somebody ----s something
Somebody ----s VERB-ing

Sense 3

Meaning:

Maintain (a theory, thoughts, or feelings)

Classified under:

Verbs of feeling

Synonyms:

entertain; harbor; harbour; hold; nurse

Context example:

harbor a resentment

Hypernyms (to "entertain" is one way to...):

experience; feel (undergo an emotional sensation or be in a particular state of mind)

Sentence frame:

Somebody ----s something

 Context examples 

I found them most intimate friends; and I, too, became excessively pleased with Mr Elliot, and entertained the highest opinion of him.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

Ruth's two girl-cousins were visiting her from San Rafael, and Mrs. Morse, under pretext of entertaining them, was pursuing her plan of surrounding Ruth with young people.

(Martin Eden, by Jack London)

I resisted all the way: a new thing for me, and a circumstance which greatly strengthened the bad opinion Bessie and Miss Abbot were disposed to entertain of me.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)

“Your conversation is most entertaining,” said he.

(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

Henry and her own heart only were privy to the shocking suspicions which she had so idly entertained; and equally safe did she believe her secret with each.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

Let no one presume to give the feelings of a young woman on receiving the assurance of that affection of which she has scarcely allowed herself to entertain a hope.

(Mansfield Park, by Jane Austen)

A fancy came into my head, that I would entertain the king and queen with an English tune upon this instrument.

(Gulliver's Travels into several remote nations of the world, by Jonathan Swift)

He was single-purposed, and entertained but one thought or desire at a time.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

Fred is very entertaining, and is altogether the most agreeable young man I ever knew—except Laurie, whose manners are more charming.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

I gave Miss Mowcher my hand, with a very different opinion of her from that which I had hitherto entertained, and opened the door to let her out.

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)