What does regaler mean?
A regaler is someone who entertains others, especially by telling amusing or interesting stories and by offering generous hospitality. The word has a formal, slightly old-fashioned tone and suggests a host or storyteller who makes guests feel welcome and looked after. In its older and more literal sense, a regaler is a person who provides a lavish meal or feast, though modern use more often emphasizes the entertaining role. The verb regale is more common than the noun, especially in the phrase regale someone with stories. Regaler can be used approvingly of a charismatic storyteller, although in older writing it may imply an especially generous provider of food, drink, or entertainment. It is a useful word when describing someone whose warmth, humour, or hospitality elevates an occasion.
nounA regaler is a person who entertains others with stories, anecdotes, or an elaborate meal or hospitality.
- A person who entertains others, especially by telling stories or providing an elaborate meal and hospitality.
"At the dinner party, her uncle proved to be an excellent regaler, keeping the guests amused with lively stories."
"The host was a practiced regaler, pouring wine and telling the guests stories from his travels."
"Her mother, a tireless regaler, made even an ordinary Sunday lunch feel festive."
Plural regalers refers to multiple people who entertain guests or provide lavish hospitality.
"The finest regalers in the city were renowned for both their cuisine and their stories."
A regaler does more than tell a good story: in the strictest sense, the word promises both entertainment and a generous feast.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does regaler come from?
The noun regaler was formed from the verb regale with the agent suffix -er, meaning a person who regales. Regale comes through French from Latin regalis, meaning royal or princely, ultimately from regere, to rule or direct. The verb originally referred to entertaining someone with a feast before developing its modern sense of delighting someone with stories or entertainment. English regale retains the royal association of its Latin source, as do related words such as regal and regalia.
Related word forms
How regaler is actually used
Regaler is uncommon in modern everyday speech but remains idiomatic and often literary. It can sound ceremonious or old-fashioned, especially when used of someone known for lavish hospitality.
Easily confused with regaler
A regaler is a person who entertains guests, whereas regale is a verb meaning to entertain someone lavishly or to provide a feast.