people pleaser

noun

variants or less commonly people-pleaser

ˈpē-pəl-ˈplē-zər 

plural people pleasers also people-pleasers

: someone or something that pleases or wants to please people

a breed of dog that's a people pleaser

This sophisticated, nutritious salad is a real people-pleaser, and it's quite filling too.

—Brett Stewart and Corey Irwin

often : a person who has an emotional need to please others often at the expense of his or her own needs or desires

Being a people pleaser isn't all bad. It shows that you are a caring person who values social connections and enjoys making others happy.

—Samantha Boardman

people-pleasing noun

or people pleasing

… if you grew up in a home with a difficult, emotionally unavailable parent, you may have unconsciously picked up the pattern of people-pleasing in an attempt to engage the aloof parent.

—Meghan Fritz

people-pleasing adjective

people-pleasing behavior

a people-pleasing recipe

Examples of people pleaser in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Grande also popped into a bit about a support group for people pleasers. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019

Part of the challenge being aggressive is learning to how to balance aggression with patience, but what may be even more challenging for women, because of the tendency to be people pleasers, is feeling comfortable making other people uncomfortable. —Bonnie Marcus, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

As people pleasers, Pisces are natural guides and have a deep desire to help others, astrologer Kesaine Walker previously told USA TODAY. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024

But, regardless of changes over the years, events are meant to be broad people pleasers. —Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024

A lot of parents struggle to set boundaries, especially women, because a lot of us were raised as people pleasers. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2023

Jeremiah is a people pleaser, a young man that still has a lot of soul searching to do. —Sam Reed, Glamour, 4 Aug. 2023

Often, a people pleaser overrides their own position to accommodate another’s concerns. —Mark Travers, Forbes, 19 Apr. 2023

This has included learning to be less of a people pleaser, setting boundaries, taking chances with her business, and going to therapy for the first time. —L'oréal Blackett, refinery29.com, 16 Sep. 2022

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above