Regale has been an English verb since the early half of the 1600s; it was adapted from French régaler, which has the same meaning as regale. The French verb traces back to Middle French galer, which means "to have a good time," and, ultimately, to gale, meaning "pleasure." (Gala, meaning "a festive celebration," is from the same source.) Regale also has a history as a noun meaning "a sumptuous feast." Early use of the noun appears in a 1670 notice: "My Lord Duke will not be able to get away yet…, all the regales that are intended for him not being yet at an end." (The man referred to is the Duke of Buccleuch, whose regales ended once and for all 15 years later when he was beheaded.)
Verbregaled his grandchildren with stories of his time in Morocco an inn that nightly regales its guests with five-course meals prepared by a master chef Noun a regale to honor the retiring Supreme Court justice
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
On the heels of his astounding free solo of El Cap, Alex Honnold will regale the industry with stories at the OIA Industry breakfast on July 26 at 7:00 a.m. at the Downtown Marriott. Kristin Hostetter, Outside Online, 3 July 2017 Gobitis had led the justice to regale his colleagues on the court with the story of his own immigration and his devotion to his adopted country. John Fabian Witt, The New Republic, 26 Aug. 2022 My living room was also the historic site where, on Saturday mornings, my roommate and I would regale each other with tales of the previous night. Erin Jensen, USA TODAY, 7 July 2022 But his dad has a knack for telling tall tales, and Will listening to his father regale him of stories of his youth brings the emotions to another level. Marisa Lascala, Good Housekeeping, 30 June 2022 Eminem, and Kendrick Lamar — plus surprise guest 50 Cent — to regale audiences with three decades' worth of classics. Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 29 June 2022 In the evening after dinner, residents read from vintage cooking manuals or regale those present with personal anecdotes. David Fear, Rolling Stone, 21 June 2022 Karen and Martine did not regale us with stories about the magic of home birth. Keith Gessen, The New Yorker, 6 June 2022 Our tour of the unexplained continued at the Bigfoot Discovery Museum, where proprietor Mike Rugg was only too happy to regale us with tales of his life-defining childhood Bigfoot sighting. Tanya Ward Goodman, Washington Post, 26 May 2022
Noun
But in 1974, anything seemed possible for a tour guide, who for two hours at a time would stand at the front of the fabled Universal trams and regale tourists with Hollywood lore. Seth Abramovitch, The Hollywood Reporter, 17 June 2022 Recently, one member offered an Anthurium regale for sale. Richard A. Marini, San Antonio Express-News, 1 Oct. 2021 After pre-dinner spirits, regale at Zuma, its on-trend Japanese restaurant with interactive sushi counter and open robata grill. Laura Manske, Forbes, 2 Sep. 2021 The notion that the adage less is more might somehow apply to Plein seems, rather, unbelievable, but for his Plein Sport Spring collection, his regale was marginally toned down—and this was a good thing. Nick Remsen, Vogue, 17 June 2018 See More
Word History
Etymology
Verb
French régaler, from Middle French, from regale, noun
Noun
French régal, from Middle French regale, from re- + galer to have a good time — more at gallant entry 1