regale

1 of 2

verb

re·​gale ri-ˈgāl How to pronounce regale (audio)
regaled; regaling

transitive verb

1
: to entertain sumptuously : feast with delicacies
2
: to give pleasure or amusement to
regaled us with tall tales

intransitive verb

: to feast oneself : feed

regale

2 of 2

noun

1
: a sumptuous feast
2
: a choice piece especially of food

Did you know?

Regale has been an English verb since the early half of the 1600s, having been adapted from the French word régaler. That word traces back to the Middle French verb galer, which means “to have a good time.” (Gala, meaning “a festive celebration,” is from the same source.) Today, regale still applies when someone is entertaining or amusing another, especially by sharing stories. Regale also sometimes functions as a noun meaning “a sumptuous feast.” An early use of the noun appears in the preface to a 1732 dramatic poem by George Granville: “An English stomach … will rise hungry from a regale of nothing but sweet-meats.”

Examples of regale in a Sentence

Verb regaled his grandchildren with stories of his time in Morocco an inn that nightly regales its guests with five-course meals prepared by a master chef Noun a regale to honor the retiring Supreme Court justice
Recent Examples on the Web
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Verb
Big Jim uses a framing device of Jim and Huck, now in their 90s, sitting together on the front porch at a family reunion in the 1920s, regaling a gaggle of grandchildren with their long-ago adventures. Rob Salkowitz, Forbes, 30 Sep. 2024 Monday marked the first World Series game in the Bronx in 15 years, and the Yankees decorated the place in history and hype, showing videos of past championships, enlisting Derek Jeter to throw out the first pitch and regaling the thirsty crowd with some Ice Cube-countering rap from Fat Joe. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024 While some followers ask for advice on how to restore old windows, others wonder out loud about the diet (spinach smoothies) and skin-care routine (daily handstands for blood flow to the head) of the man who regales them with stories of his real-estate bets and deals around the city. Mark Grochowski, Curbed, 28 June 2024 Both of his parents regaled him with stories from their college basketball days. Bennett Durando, The Denver Post, 23 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for regale 

Word History

Etymology

Verb

French régaler, from Middle French, from regale, noun

Noun

French régal, from Middle French regale, from re- + galer to have a good time — more at gallant entry 1

First Known Use

Verb

1642, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 2

Noun

1670, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of regale was in 1642

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Dictionary Entries Near regale

Cite this Entry

“Regale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regale. Accessed 2 Dec. 2024.

Kids Definition

regale

verb
re·​gale
ri-ˈgā(ə)l
regaled; regaling
1
: to entertain richly
2
: to give pleasure or amusement to
3
: to feast oneself : feed

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