I.to delight, please, divert, entertain, amuse (class.; most freq. with se and mid.; syn. delecto); constr. usually aliquem (aliquid, se), with abl., with cum, with in and abl.
(α).
With abl.: “ut quam diutissime te jucundā opinione oblectarem,” Cic. Q. Fr. 1, 1, 1, § 1: “cum eorum inventis scriptisque se oblectent,” id. Rep. 1, 17, 28: “se agri cultione,” id. Sen. 16, 56; Ter. Eun. 1, 2, 115: “aliquem falso gaudio,” Plaut. Poen. 5, 4, 102: “Musae me oblectant carmine,” Cat. 66, 8.—With an impers. object: “legentium animos fictis oblectare,” Tac. H. 2, 50; so, “ironically: paulum praesidii, qui familiarem suam vitam oblectet modo,” cheer, comfort, Plaut. Pers. 1, 3, 46: “vitam sordido pane,” id. As. 1, 2, 16.—Mid.: “in communibus miseriis hac tamen oblectabar speculā,” Cic. Fam. 2, 16, 5: “ludis oblectamur,” id. Mur. 19, 39.—
(β).
With cum: “oblecta te cum Cicerone quam bellissime,” Cic. Q. Fr. 2, 13, 4: “cum his me oblecto, qui res gestas scripserunt,” id. de Or. 2, 14, 61; cf. “elliptically: ego me interea cum libellis,” id. Att. 12, 3, 1.—
(γ).
With in: “in eo me oblecto,” I delight in him, he is my delight, Ter. Ad. 1, 1, 24: “se in hortis,” Cic. Off. 3, 19, 58: “ego me in Cumano et Pompeiano satis commode oblectabam,” i. e. amused myself excellently well in Cumanum, id. Q. Fr. 2, 12, 1.—
(δ).
With acc.: “minime equidem me oblectavi,” id. ib. 1, 2, 10: “hortulos emere ubi se oblectare posset,” Cic. Off. 3, 14, 58: “ut te oblectes scire cupio,” id. Q. Fr. 2, 3, 7: “populum,” Hor. A. P. 321.—With an impers. object: “haec studia adulescentiam alunt, senectutem oblectant,” Cic. Arch. 7, 16; Ter. Phorm. 2, 3, 87: “animos,” Ov. R. Am. 169; Tac. H. 2, 50: “animum,” Juv. 14, 265.—
II. Transf., to spend or pass time agreeably: “studio lacrimabile tempus,” Ov. Tr. 5, 12, 1: “iners otium,” Tac. A. 12, 49: “inter cenam oblectamus otium temporis,” Plin. Ep. 4, 14, 15.—
B. Hence, to delay, detain: “ego illum interea hic oblectabo,” Plaut. As. 2, 2, 83: “dic mi ubi, Philotis, te oblectāsti tam diu,” Ter. Hec. 1, 2, 9.