entertainer

entertainer — noun

1. Someone who sings, tells jokes, performs magic, or acts on stage to amuse an aud

1.nounB2
Definition

Someone who sings, tells jokes, performs magic, or acts on stage to amuse an audience as their profession.

Example

The children cheered as the entertainer made a rabbit appear from his hat.

entertainer + made + [object] appear (magic trick pattern)

A well-known entertainer from Taipei will perform at the city concert hall next Friday.

entertainer from [place] + perform at [venue]

Common collocations
  • street entertainer
  • children's entertainer
  • professional entertainer
  • popular entertainer
  • book an entertainer
  • hire an entertainer
Synonyms
  • performer

    broader term — covers dancers, actors, musicians, and anyone who performs publicly

  • comedian

    specific type of entertainer who tells jokes or does comic routines

  • artist

    more formal term; can include stage performers and creative professionals

  • showman

    someone who puts on lively, dramatic performances to attract attention

Antonyms

Grammar Patterns

adjective + entertainer

Usage Note

Commonly preceded by an adjective or noun that describes the type of performance (street entertainer, children's entertainer, circus entertainer).

Common Mistakes

He works as an entertainer person.
He works as an entertainer.
The word entertainer already refers to a person; do not add person after it.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

Entertainer is the broadest everyday term for someone whose job is to amuse others through performance — it includes singers, comedians, magicians, and street performers. Performer is slightly more focused on the act of being on stage (dancers and actors are performers but not always 'entertainers' in the light-hearted sense). Comedian is a specific subtype who makes people laugh through jokes and storytelling, while artist often adds a layer of seriousness or craft (a concert pianist is called an artist more often than an entertainer). Showman suggests a flashy, charismatic style — someone who draws a crowd through drama and energy rather than skill alone. If you want a neutral word for any amusement professional, entertainer is your best choice: 'The party hired an entertainer for the children.' If you want to stress stage skill, use performer: 'She is a talented performer on the violin.'

performer ↗comedian ↗artist ↗showman

Common collocations

Nouns

  • street entertainer
  • party entertainer
  • circus entertainer
  • cabaret entertainer

Phrases

  • work as an entertainer
  • hire an entertainer
  • book an entertainer

Prepositions

  • entertainer at [venue]
  • entertainer for [event/audience]

Etymology

LatinFrenchEnglish

Entertainer comes from the verb entertain, which entered Middle English from Old French entretenir, meaning 'to hold together, keep up, maintain.' The Latin root inter- ('among') + tenere ('to hold') originally described keeping a guest's spirits up. By the 1500s, entertain had shifted toward 'to amuse,' and by the 1700s the noun entertainer referred specifically to a person who performs for an audience.