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
An assortment of eccentric competitors and characters regale us with tips and their nervy inspiration at the Moosehead Regional Finals. Randy Myers, The Mercury News, 7 Mar. 2025 Maurice’s new-look Cats, regaling in the trade that brought Tkachuk in exchange for Jonathan Huberdeau, reached the club’s first Stanley Cup Final since 1996 in his first before losing. Greg Cote, Miami Herald, 4 Mar. 2025 On the same day that Trump regaled the more boisterous crowd just across the river at CPAC with his tales of political retribution, several hundred activists and insiders gathered in downtown D.C. to make sense of their current impotence. Philip Elliott, TIME, 24 Feb. 2025 Better Battery Life The 2022 iPhone SE isn't regaled for its stellar battery life. Eric Zeman, PCMAG, 14 Feb. 2025 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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Cite this Entry

“Regale.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/regale. Accessed 11 Mar. 2025.

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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