entertain

Universal Words verb 1 to invite people to eat or drink with you as your guests, especially in your home: [V] The job involves a lot of entertaining. * [VN] Barbecues are a favourite way of entertaining friends. 2 ~ (sb) (with sth) to interest and amuse sb in order to please them: [VN] He entertained us for hours with his stories and jokes. * [V] The aim of the series is both to entertain and inform. 3 [VN] (not used in the progressive tenses) (formal) to consider or allow yourself to think about an idea, a hope, a feeling, etc: He had entertained hopes of a reconciliation. * to entertain a doubt / suspicion