pleasure

noun plea·sure \ ˈple-zhər , ˈplā- \

Updated on: 13 May 2018

Definition of pleasure

1 : desire, inclination

wait upon his pleasure
—William Shakespeare

2 : a state of gratification

3 a : sensual gratification

b : frivolous amusement

4 : a source of delight or joy

See pleasure defined for English-language learners

See pleasure defined for kids

Examples of pleasure in a Sentence

I paint for the sheer pleasure of it.
His grandparents took great pleasure in seeing him graduate from college.
Is this trip for business or pleasure?
It is a special pleasure for me to be here with you today.
Now I can enjoy the simple pleasures of life, like spending time with my family.

Recent Examples of pleasure from the Web

Salmon fishing, successful or not, is pleasure, healthy and spiritual.

— rocky barker, idahostatesman, "Chasing the salmon downstream to get an early fishing season | Idaho Statesman," 8 May 2018
But this is for the pleasure of the people of New York and for the people who visit New York.

— peter kiefer, The Hollywood Reporter, "Barry Diller Talks About His 5-Year Battle for NYC's Pier 55 Park," 16 Apr. 2018
In other words, valuing science for pure pleasure is more of a bulwark against the politicization of science than facts alone.

— michael shermer, Scientific American, "Science Denial versus Science Pleasure," 1 Jan. 2018
When the pleasure of ejaculation has been in short supply, the fruit fly heads straight for the bar, choosing liquid food spiked with alcohol over the liquid food that is standard sustenance for fruit flies in the lab.

— melissa healy, latimes.com, "Fruit flies help explain why a male orgasm matters," 19 Apr. 2018
The pleasures of her prose are often local, in the animated language, especially where scientific descriptions are concerned.

— New York Times, "11 New Books We Recommend This Week," 19 Apr. 2018
The pleasure and the revelation was fleeting, though.

— meaghan o'connell, Longreads, "A Certain Kind of Mammal," 10 Apr. 2018
Watch the British Open on a linksland course – St. Andrews, say – and take fiendish pleasure in observing players plotting shots as the wind whips their faces sideways.

— paul daugherty, Cincinnati.com, "Paul Daugherty on Masters 2018: Try to avoid getting 'gusted' this weekend," 6 Apr. 2018
The pleasure of trying out a new color when everything else seems out of control is a human impulse that machines can neither comprehend nor anticipate.

— marc rey, Fortune, "Commentary: Artificial Intelligence Should Complement, But Never Replace, the Human Connection," 2 Apr. 2018

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

Origin and Etymology of pleasure

Middle English plesure, alteration of plesir, from Anglo-French plaisir, from plaisir to please

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

pleasure Synonyms

pleasure

verb

Definition of pleasure

pleasured; pleasuring play \ˈplezh-riŋ, ˈplāzh-; ˈple-zhə-, ˈplā-\

transitive verb

1 : to give pleasure to : gratify

2 : to give sexual pleasure to

intransitive verb

1 : to take pleasure : delight

2 : to seek pleasure

Examples of pleasure in a Sentence

a wine that is sure to pleasure even the most discriminating palate

Recent Examples of pleasure from the Web

Hell, the only mistress he’d had, years ago, hadn’t figured out how to pleasure him like this.

— eliza thompson, Cosmopolitan, "Eloisa James Shares a Steamy Excerpt From Her New Book Too Wilde to Wed," 9 Jan. 2018
After all, there’s room for only one man in this administration who has the ability to pleasure himself.

— frank scheck, The Hollywood Reporter, "Critic's Notebook: The Mooch Admits He Made an "Unforced Error" in First TV Interview," 13 Aug. 2017

First Known Use of pleasure

1537

in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

See Words from the same year

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PLEASURE Defined for English Language Learners

pleasure

noun

Definition of pleasure for English Language Learners

: a feeling of happiness, enjoyment, or satisfaction : a pleasant or pleasing feeling
: activity that is done for enjoyment
: something or someone that causes a feeling of happiness, enjoyment, or satisfaction

PLEASURE Defined for Kids

pleasure

noun plea·sure \ ˈple-zhər \

Definition of pleasure for Students

1 : a feeling of enjoyment or satisfaction

I take great pleasure in reading.

2 : recreation or enjoyment

Is the trip for business or pleasure?

3 : something that pleases or delights

It's been a pleasure working with you.

4 : a particular desire

What is your pleasure?

Synonym Discussion of pleasure

pleasure, joy, and enjoyment mean the agreeable feeling that accompanies getting something good or much wanted. pleasure is used for a feeling of happiness or satisfaction that may not be shown openly.