| Entertain 1. (v. t.) To be at the charges of; to take or keep in one's service; to maintain; to support; to harbor; to keep. 2. (v. t.) To give hospitable reception and maintenance to; to receive at one's board, or into one's house; to receive as a guest. 3. (v. t.) To engage the attention of agreeably; to amuse with that which makes the time pass pleasantly; to divert; as, to entertain friends with conversation, etc. 4. (v. t.) To give reception to; to receive, in general; to receive and take into consideration; to admit, treat, or make use of; as, to entertain a proposal. 5. (v. t.) To meet or encounter, as an enemy. 6. (v. t.) To keep, hold, or maintain in the mind with favor; to keep in the mind; to harbor; to cherish; as, to entertain sentiments. 7. (v. t.) To lead on; to bring along; to introduce. 8. (v. i.) To receive, or provide entertainment for, guests; as, he entertains generously. 9. (n.) Entertainment. Thesaurus Entries accommodate, admit, allow, amuse, amusement, bear, beguile, bestow, billet, board, bosom, cater to, cherish, cling to, clip, consider, contemplate, convulse, cultivate, delight, disport, dissipation, distraction, diversion, divert, divertissement, do the honors, domicile, embosom, embrace, enjoyment, enliven, entertain guests, entertainment, exhilarate, feed, fondle, foster, fracture one, gaiety, give a party, gladden, gratify, guest, harbor, have, have and hold, hold, hold on to, host, house, hug, inquire into, invite, keep, kill, knock dead, lodge, loosen up, maintain, nourish, nurse, nurture, occupy, play, please, pleasure, preside, put up, quarter, raise a laugh, raise a smile, receive, recreate, recreation, refresh, regale, rejoice, relax, relaxation, relief, room, see about, slay, sleep upon, solace, sport, support, sustain, take under advisement, take under consideration, think it over, throw a party, tickle, titillate, tolerate, treasure, treasure up, treat, wow |