Regaling

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. To entertain others by telling captivating stories or sharing amusing experiences that engage their interest and create a lively atmosphere
2. To delight an audience through the art of storytelling or by recounting entertaining anecdotes that capture their attention and imagination
3. Providing enjoyment to people by narrating interesting or amusing tales that capture their attention

Etymology: The verb "regale" was borrowed from French "régaler", meaning "to entertain" or "to feast", and its deeper roots lie in a word for merriment. Old French had "gale", a term for fun and rejoicing, which probably came from a Germanic source. Medieval speakers shaped the French verb around this root, and it carried the sense of lavishing hospitality on someone: to host, to treat, to delight with good food and company. The English sense shifted over time. Where the French word was tied to the feast itself, English writers came to use "regale" for pleasing someone with talk or stories, so that a person could be regaled with tales rather than with dinner. The "-ing" form here is simply the present participle, the verbal form used in phrases like "regaling his guests". Some English words are close cousins of "gale". The word "gala", meaning a festive occasion, comes from the same Italian and Spanish family of merriment terms, and the verb "gale" once meant to sing or charm, a sense now lost in ordinary speech.

Synonyms: entertaining, amusing