entertain myself

Meaning

1. 1phrasefixed phrase

   to keep yourself interested and happy by doing something enjoyable, especially when you are alone or bored.

   Grammar: The reflexive pronoun must match the subject: I entertain myself, she entertains herself.

   Patterns

   • entertain myself with something
   • entertain myself by doing something
   • have to entertain myself

   On the long train ride, I entertained myself by listening to podcasts.

   The children had to entertain themselves while their parents cooked dinner.

   He entertained himself with a book while waiting for his flight.

Common combinations

entertain myself with

She entertained herself with crossword puzzles on rainy days.

entertain myself by doing

I entertained myself by watching old movies.

keep myself entertained

There was no TV, so we had to keep ourselves entertained.

easily entertained

He's easily entertained and can spend hours drawing.

Synonyms and how they differ

amuse myself

Very similar, but 'amuse myself' often suggests something light and slightly silly; 'entertain myself' is broader.

occupy myself

Focuses on keeping busy rather than on enjoyment; you can occupy yourself with boring tasks.

Opposites

Word family

entertainment noun

Things like films, games, or shows that entertain people.

entertaining adjective

Interesting and enjoyable to watch or listen to.

entertainer noun

A person whose job is to perform for an audience.

Commonly confused: entertain myself or entertain someone?

Practice

Make it your own

Write a sentence using “entertain myself”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.

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