entertain
verb uk/en.təˈteɪn/ us/en.t̬ɚˈteɪn/
(AMUSE)
B1 [ I or T ]使有兴趣;使快乐
to keep a group of people interested or enjoying themselves
We hired a magician to entertain the children. 我们雇了一位魔术师表演节目让孩子们开心。
Most children's television programmes aim to educate and entertain at the same time. 大多数儿童电视节目都旨在寓教于乐。
- More examples
- Milligan's anarchic humour has always had the power to offend as well as entertain.
- Year after year they wheel out the same third-rate celebrities to entertain us.
- Should the function of children's television be to entertain or to enlighten?
- The crowd was entertained with a display of aerobatics.
- The crowds were once again entertained by the number one tennis player's antics on and off the court.
(INVITE)
[ I or T ]（在家）招待，款待，请客
to invite someone to your home and give food and drink to them
We entertain a lot of people, mainly business associates of my wife's. 我们经常在家请客，主要都是我妻子的业务伙伴。
Now that I live on my own, I don't entertain much. 既然就我一个人生活，我也就不常请人到家里做客。
(THINK ABOUT)
[ T not continuous ] formal怀着;抱有;心存;持有
to hold something in your mind or to be willing to consider or accept something
The General refused to entertain the possibility of defeat. 将军拒绝考虑失败的可能性。