Entertaining — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective verb /ˌen-tər-ˈtā-niŋ/ en·ter·tain·ing

Meaning & Definition of Entertaining

Entertaining (adjective)

  1. providing entertainment, diverting

Entertaining (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. providing amusement or enjoyment

    "a list of entertaining things to do on a snow day"

    similar: amusing, delightful, diverting, enjoyable, fun, pleasurable
    related: agreeable, beguiling, nice, pleasant, satisfying, welcome, recreational, antic, comic, comical, droll, farcical, funny, hilarious, humorous, laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous, riotous, risible, sidesplitting, uproarious, blithesome, gay, gleeful, happy, jocose, jocund, jolly, jovial, merry, mirthful, sunny, exciting, stimulating, thrilling
    opposite: boring, drab, dreary, dull, flat, heavy, humdrum, jading, leaden, monotonous, pedestrian, pleasureless, ponderous, stodgy, stuffy, tedious, tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, wearisome, weary, wearying
    near: disagreeable, displeasing, distasteful, uncongenial, unlovely, unpleasant, unpleasing, unwelcome

Entertaining (verb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to cause (someone) to pass the time agreeably occupied

    "entertain the kids while I go and prepare dinner"

    similar: amusing, disporting, diverting, regaling, solacing
    related: absorbing, busying, distracting, engaging, engrossing, immersing, interesting, involving, occupying, beguiling, bewitching, captivating, charming, delighting, enchanting, enthralling, fascinating, gripping, hypnotizing, intriguing, mesmerizing, coddling, gratifying, humoring, indulging, mollycoddling, pampering, pleasing, pleasuring, spoiling, appeasing, comforting, conciliating, consoling, contenting, mollifying, obliging, pacifying, placating, propitiating, soothing
    near: boring, jading, draining, enervating, exhausting, fatiguing, tiring, wearing, wearing out, wearying, aggravating, annoying, bothering, bugging, chafing, disturbing, exasperating, fretting, galling, grating, harassing, harrying, irking, nettling, peeving, perturbing, pestering, piquing, upsetting, vexing

  2. to give serious and careful thought to

    "have you ever entertained the thought that you could be wrong?"

    similar: chewing over, cogitating, considering, contemplating, debating, deliberating, eyeing, kicking around, meditating, mulling (over), perpending, pondering, poring (over), questioning, revolving, ruminating, studying, thinking (about or over), turning, weighing, wrestling (with), beating one's brains out (about), chewing on, cudgeling one's brains (about), looking at
    related: musing (upon), reflecting (on or upon), reminiscing, analyzing, exploring, reviewing, concluding, reasoning, second-guessing, speculating (about), brooding (about or over), dwelling (on or upon), fixating (on or upon), fretting (about or over), obsessing (about or over), believing, conceiving, opining, absorbing, assimilating, digesting, drinking (in)
    near: disregarding, ignoring, overlooking, slighting, dismissing, pooh-poohing, rejecting

  3. to keep in one's mind or heart

    "I don't entertain the hope of ever getting a girl like that to go out with me"

    similar: bearing, cherishing, harboring, having, holding, nursing, hanging on to, holding on to
    related: cultivating, fostering, nurturing, supporting, sustaining, carrying, keeping, maintaining, preserving, remembering, retaining, treasuring, cleaving (to), clinging (to), hugging, sticking (to), brooding (about or over), fixating (on or upon), obsessing (about or over)
    near: disregarding, dropping, forgetting, ignoring, neglecting, overlooking, abjuring, declining, denying, disdaining, refusing, rejecting, repudiating, scorning, abandoning, deserting, discarding, forsaking, giving up, parting (with), quitting, renouncing, throwing out, erasing, expunging

Related Entry: Entertain (verb)

Entertain is a different word from Entertaining. The synonyms below are for entertain, not for entertaining.

  1. to cause (someone) to pass the time agreeably occupied

    "entertain the kids while I go and prepare dinner"

    similar: amuse, disport, divert, regale, solace
    related: absorb, busy, distract, engage, engross, immerse, interest, involve, occupy, beguile, bewitch, captivate, charm, delight, enchant, enthrall, fascinate, grip, hypnotize, intrigue, mesmerize, coddle, gratify, humor, indulge, mollycoddle, pamper, please, pleasure, spoil, appease, comfort, conciliate, console, content, mollify, oblige, pacify, placate, propitiate, soothe
    near: bore, jade, drain, enervate, exhaust, fatigue, tire, wear, wear out, weary, aggravate, annoy, bother, bug, chafe, disturb, exasperate, fret, gall, grate, harass, harry, irk, nettle, peeve, perturb, pester, pique, upset, vex

  2. to give serious and careful thought to

    "have you ever entertained the thought that you could be wrong?"

    similar: chew over, cogitate, consider, contemplate, debate, deliberate, eye, kick around, meditate, mull (over), perpend, ponder, pore (over), question, revolve, ruminate, study, think (about or over), turn, weigh, wrestle (with), beat one's brains out (about), chew on, cudgel one's brains (about), look at
    related: muse (upon), reflect (on or upon), reminisce, analyze, explore, review, conclude, reason, second-guess, speculate (about), brood (about or over), dwell (on or upon), fixate (on or upon), fret (about or over), obsess (about or over), believe, conceive, opine, absorb, assimilate, digest, drink (in)
    near: disregard, ignore, overlook, slight, dismiss, pooh-pooh, reject

  3. to keep in one's mind or heart

    "I don't entertain the hope of ever getting a girl like that to go out with me"

    similar: bear, cherish, harbor, have, hold, nurse, hang on to, hold on to
    related: cultivate, foster, nurture, support, sustain, carry, keep, maintain, preserve, remember, retain, treasure, cleave (to), cling (to), hug, stick (to), brood (about or over), fixate (on or upon), obsess (about or over)
    near: disregard, drop, forget, ignore, neglect, overlook, abjure, decline, deny, disdain, refuse, reject, repudiate, scorn, abandon, desert, discard, forsake, give up, part (with), quit, renounce, throw out, erase, expunge

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Entertaining

The most common words with a similar meaning to Entertaining:

amusing, delightful, diverting, enjoyable, fun, pleasurable, disporting, regaling, solacing, chewing over, cogitating, considering, contemplating, debating, deliberating, eyeing, kicking around, meditating, mulling (over), perpending, pondering, poring (over), questioning, revolving, ruminating, studying, thinking (about or over), turning, weighing, wrestling (with), bearing, cherishing, harboring, having, holding, nursing, beating one's brains out (about), chewing on, cudgeling one's brains (about), looking at

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Entertaining

Words with the opposite meaning of Entertaining:

boring, drab, dreary, dull, flat, heavy, humdrum, jading, leaden, monotonous, pedestrian, pleasureless, ponderous, stodgy, stuffy, tedious, tiresome, tiring, uninteresting, wearisome, weary, wearying

Related Words for Entertaining

agreeable, beguiling, nice, pleasant, satisfying, welcome, recreational, antic, comic, comical, droll, farcical, funny, hilarious, humorous, laughable, ludicrous, ridiculous, riotous, risible, sidesplitting, uproarious, blithesome, gay, gleeful, happy, jocose, jocund, jolly, jovial

Near Antonyms of Entertaining

disagreeable, displeasing, distasteful, uncongenial, unlovely, unpleasant, unpleasing, unwelcome, draining, enervating, exhausting, fatiguing, wearing, wearing out, aggravating, annoying, bothering, bugging, chafing, disturbing, exasperating, fretting, galling, grating, harassing, harrying, irking, nettling, peeving, perturbing

Word Forms of Entertaining

Derived words: entertainingly (adverb)

Origin & Etymology of Entertaining

First known use: 1582

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Entertaining

Frequently Asked Questions about Entertaining

What does "Entertaining" mean?

"Entertaining" means providing entertainment, diverting. As an an adjective and a verb, it is defined as: providing entertainment, diverting. It has 4 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Entertaining"?

Other words for "Entertaining" include amusing, delightful, diverting, enjoyable, fun, pleasurable, disporting and regaling. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Entertaining" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Entertaining"?

There are 155 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Entertaining". Common alternatives include amusing, delightful, diverting, enjoyable, fun, pleasurable, disporting, regaling, solacing and chewing over.

What is the opposite of "Entertaining"?

Antonyms of "Entertaining" include boring, drab, dreary, dull, flat, heavy, humdrum and jading. Near antonyms include disagreeable, displeasing, distasteful and uncongenial.

How do you use "Entertaining" in a sentence?

Examples of "Entertaining" in a sentence: "a list of entertaining things to do on a snow day"; "entertain the kids while I go and prepare dinner"; "have you ever entertained the thought that you could be wrong?".

Is "Entertaining" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Entertaining" can be used as an adjective and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Entertaining" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As a B2-level word, "Entertaining" is typical of Cambridge B2 First (FCE), IELTS band 5.5–6.5, TOEFL iBT 72–94, PTE Academic 59–75, TOEIC Listening & Reading 785+.

How do you pronounce "Entertaining"?

"Entertaining" is pronounced /ˌen-tər-ˈtā-niŋ/ and divided into syllables as en·ter·tain·ing.