entretener

to entertain, to amuse

verb en-treh-teh-NEHR Rare

Also means

to keep occupied, to delay

Usage Note

Entretener follows the same irregular pattern as tener (yo entretengo, entretuve, etc.). The reflexive entretenerse means 'to keep oneself busy' or 'to dawdle.' Entretenido as an adjective means 'entertaining, engaging.' A subtle second use is to delay or stall someone: te entretuvo con excusas ('he stalled you with excuses').

Examples

"El mago entretuvo a los niños durante horas."

Natural Translation

The magician entertained the children for hours.

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