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Entertain vs Encourage - What's the difference?

entertain | encourage | Related terms |

As verbs the difference between entertain and encourage

is that entertain is to amuse (someone); to engage the attention of agreeably while encourage is to mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.

As a noun entertain

is entertainment; pleasure.

entertain

English

Verb

(en verb)
  • To amuse (someone); to engage the attention of agreeably.
    • to entertain friends with lively conversation
    The motivational speaker not only instructed but also entertained the audience.
  • (transitive, and, intransitive) To have someone over at one's home for a party or visit.
    • They enjoy entertaining a lot.
  • * Bible, Heb. xiii. 2
    • Be not forgetful to entertain strangers
  • To receive and take into consideration; to have a thought in mind.
    • The committee would like to entertain the idea of reducing the budget figures.
    to entertain a proposal
  • * De Quincey
    • I am not here going to entertain so large a theme as the philosophy of Locke.
  • * Hawthorne
    • A rumour gained ground, — and, however absurd, was entertained by some very sensible people.
  • (obsolete) To take or keep in one's service; to maintain; to support; to harbour; to keep.
  • * Shakespeare
    • You, sir, I entertain for one of my hundred.
  • (obsolete) To meet or encounter, as an enemy.
    • (Shakespeare)
  • (obsolete) To lead on; to bring along; to introduce.
  • * Jeremy Taylor
    • to baptize all nations, and entertain them into the services and institutions of the holy Jesus

    Derived terms

    * entertainer * entertaining * entertainment

    Noun

    (-)
  • (obsolete) ; pleasure.
  • (obsolete) Reception of a guest; welcome.
  • * 1596 , (Edmund Spenser), The Faerie Queene , IV.8:
    • But neede, that answers not to all requests, / Bad them not looke for better entertayne […].

    External links

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    Anagrams

    *

    encourage

    English

    Verb

    (encourag)
  • To mentally support; to motivate, give courage, hope or spirit.
    • I encouraged him during his race.
  • To spur on, strongly recommend.
    • We encourage the use of bicycles in the town centre.
  • To foster, give help or patronage
    • ''The royal family has always encouraged the arts in word and deed

    Synonyms

    * (l) * (l)

    Antonyms

    * discourage

    Derived terms

    * encouragement * encouraging * encouragingly

    Related terms

    * courage