pleasure

Hello, you have come here looking for the meaning of the word pleasure. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word pleasure, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say pleasure in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word pleasure you have here. The definition of the word pleasure will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition ofpleasure, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.

English

English Wikipedia has an article on:
Wikipedia

Etymology

From Early Modern English pleasur, plesur, alteration (with ending accommodated to -ure) of Middle English plaisir (pleasure), from Old French plesir, plaisir (to please), infinitive used as a noun, conjugated form of plaisir or plaire, from Latin placeō (to please, to seem good), from the Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-k- (wide and flat). Related to Dutch plezier (pleasure, fun). More at please.

Pronunciation

Noun

pleasure (countable and uncountable, plural pleasures)

  1. (uncountable) A state of being pleased or contented; gratification.
    Synonyms: delight, gladness, gratification, happiness, indulgence, satisfaction
    Antonyms: displeasure, pain
    He remembered with pleasure his home and family.
    I get a lot of pleasure from watching others work hard while I relax.
    • 2012 April 22, Sam Sheringham, “Liverpool 0-1 West Brom”, in BBC Sport:
      But the only statistic that will concern West Brom will be the scoreline, and their manager Roy Hodgson will take considerable pleasure from a victory over the club he managed for just 191 days.
    • 2019, Toro y Moi (lyrics and music), “Ordinary Pleasure”, in Outer Peace:
      Maximize all the pleasure / Even with all this weather / Nothing can make it better / Maximize all the pleasure
  2. (countable) A person, thing or action that causes enjoyment.
    Synonyms: delight, joy
    It was a pleasure to meet you.
    Having a good night's sleep is one of life's little pleasures.
  3. (uncountable) Sexual enjoyment.
  4. (uncountable) One's preference.
    Synonyms: desire, fancy, want, will, wish
    What is your pleasure: coffee or tea?
  5. (formal, uncountable) The will or desire of someone or some agency in power.
    Synonym: discretion
    to hold an office at pleasure: to hold it indefinitely until it is revoked
    to be imprisoned at Her Majesty's pleasure: to be imprisoned indefinitely
    at Congress's pleasure: whenever or as long as Congress desires

Derived terms

Translations

The translations below need to be checked and inserted above into the appropriate translation tables. See instructions at Wiktionary:Entry layout § Translations.

Interjection

pleasure

  1. pleased to meet you, "It's my pleasure"

Verb

pleasure (third-person singular simple present pleasures, present participle pleasuring, simple past and past participle pleasured)

  1. (transitive) To give or afford pleasure to.
    Synonyms: please, gratify
  2. (transitive) To give sexual pleasure to.
    Johnny pleasured Jackie with his mouth last night.
  3. (intransitive, dated) To take pleasure; to seek or pursue pleasure.
    to go pleasuring

Derived terms

Related terms

Translations

Further reading

Anagrams