please

verb

\ ˈplēz

pleased; pleasing

Definition of please

(Entry 1 of 2)

intransitive verb

1 : to afford or give pleasure or satisfaction

2 : like, wish do as you please

3 archaic : to have the kindness will you please to enter the carriage —Charles Dickens

transitive verb

1 : to give pleasure to : gratify

2 : to be the will or pleasure of may it please Your Majesty

please

adverb

Definition of please (Entry 2 of 2)

1 —used as a function word to express politeness or emphasis in a request please come in

2 —used as a function word to express polite affirmation like some tea? Please

3 —used as a function word to express scornful disagreement, disapproval, or disbelief you believe that? Oh, please

Other Words from please Synonyms & Antonyms More Example Sentences Learn More about please

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Synonyms & Antonyms for please

Synonyms: Verb

agree (with), content, delight, feast, gladden, gratify, rejoice, satisfy, suit, warm

Antonyms: Verb

displease

Examples of please in a Sentence

Verb

He joined the football team to please his father. Her parents were pleased by her decision. It pleases me to know that you liked the gift. They're very hard to please.

Recent Examples on the Web: Verb

Usually, Trump is repelled by the very idea of doing anything that pleases the establishment. — Jonathan Allen /, NBC News, "Trump goes full establishment with Supreme Court pick," 10 July 2018 Too much of this can be terrible, but used judiciously, that glaze can produce a sweet-smoky-salty combo that pleases nearly every cluster of taste buds. — Andy Staples, SI.com, "The Chaos and Consequences of the BCS, 20 Years After Its Inaugural Season," 9 July 2018 Pizza and pasta are two foods that will always please everyone at the table. — Indianapolis Star, "eCookbook: Quick and Easy Pizzas and Pasta," 9 July 2018 My mother was taught to type, to learn shorthand and to wear clothes that pleased her male bosses. — Deborah Levy, The Cut, "The Cost of Living," 1 July 2018 Florida's busiest airport will be the first in the nation to require a face scan of passengers on all arriving and departing international flights, officials said Thursday, a move that pleases airport executives but worries privacy advocates. — Mike Schneider, The Christian Science Monitor, "Florida airport to begin scanning faces of international passengers," 22 June 2018 Two challenges, though, faced the couple on deciding how to naturally decorate the sprawling open floor plan in a way that pleased both parties. — Taylor M. Riley, The Courier-Journal, "This Prospect home does summer the right way with the perfect pool," 14 June 2018 Neptune manages the impossible task of being a destination restaurant that feels like a neighborhood restaurant thanks to the familial warmth of the staff and a menu of local seafood and dishes that please both regulars and tourists. — Korsha Wilson, Bon Appetit, "We Needed Our Routine. And We Needed a Lobster Roll.," 6 June 2018 For decades, says Jean-Herve Peron, the idea of pleasing an audience was totally out of the question for his long-running band, the experimental German group Faust. — James Sullivan, BostonGlobe.com, "For krautrock icons Faust, the revolution goes on," 11 July 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'please.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.