What does regale mean?
Word: Regale
Part of Speech: Verb
Meaning: Regale means to keep people amused with stories, jokes or interesting talk.
Synonyms: amuse
Antonyms: bore
How do you spell regale?
Syllables: re - gale
Tricky part: The end sounds like ail, so pupils often write regail.
Watch out for: regail, regayle
Memory tip: A good storyteller raises gales of laughter, and the end of regale is spelt the same as gale.
Regale in a sentence
Example 1: My uncle loves to regale visitors with tales of his years in the merchant navy.
Example 2: During the power cut, Grandma regaled us with stories from her village.
Example 3: The tour guide regaled our group with the history of every old bridge.
Fun Fact
Regale came into English from French in the 1600s, and its early use was about treating guests to a splendid meal. Today it is mostly used of stories and jokes, so the feast is one of words.
Practise the CREST Way
Word Cookie
Find the extra letter in the word:
reegale
a) l
b) g
c) r
d) e
Show answer
d) e. The opening beat is a short re, with just one vowel.
Mingle-Mangle
Unjumble the word in the sentence and choose it:
At dinner, Grandpa would gelrae us with tales of his college cricket days.
a) regard
b) regale
c) repeal
d) recall
Show answer
b) regale. The jumble has a g and an l but no d, p or c, so one word is left.
Word Connection
Choose the synonym of the word regaled as used in the sentence:
The old sailor regaled the children with stories of far-off islands.
a) examined
b) followed
c) entertained
d) bothered
Show answer
c) entertained. He held their attention and gave them pleasure, which is what entertained says.
Spell-o-Spell
Three words in the list are spelt correctly and one is misspelt. Choose the meaning of the misspelt word.
1. delight 2. narate 3. regale 4. recount
a) to tell a story from start to finish
b) to give someone great pleasure
c) to describe an event you have lived through
d) to keep listeners merry with tales
Show answer
a) to tell a story from start to finish. Narrate needs a double r.
Multiple Choice Questions
1. Who is most likely to regale a group?
a) a student copying notes from the board
b) a driver waiting at a red light
c) a guard checking tickets at a gate
d) a relative with a fund of funny memories
Show answer
d) a relative with a fund of funny memories
2. Which word completes the sentence? She regaled the class ____ tales of her trek.
a) with
b) at
c) for
d) on
Show answer
a) with
