entertain
Third Person
entertains
Past Tense
entertained
Past Participle
entertained
1
to amuse someone so that they have an enjoyable time
transitive
- The clown entertained the children at the birthday party with magic tricks and balloon animals.
- The comedian entertained the audience with jokes and witty anecdotes.
- They entertained guests at the dinner party with live music and dancing.
- The band will entertain the crowd with their upbeat music.
- The magician is entertaining the children with his magic tricks.
2
to give thought to something as a possibility
transitive
- The board entertained the possibility of expanding the company’s operations overseas.
- She entertained several job offers before deciding on the best one.
- He entertained the notion of quitting his job, but decided against it after weighing his options.
- They briefly entertained the thought of canceling the event due to the weather.
- The company entertained multiple solutions to address the budget shortfall.
Synonyms:
3
to hold certain ideas or emotions in one's mind over time
transitive
- He secretly entertained feelings of resentment toward his coworker.
- He entertained doubts about the project, but kept them to himself.
- She entertained the belief that everything would work out in the end, even when things seemed bleak.
- Despite the criticism, she continued to entertain hopes of winning the competition.
- Though outwardly calm, he entertained a deep fear of failure.