English

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Etymology

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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

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Noun

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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

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Translations

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

Interjection

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pleasure

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

Verb

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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

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Translations

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Further reading

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Anagrams

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