pleasure

noun

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plea·sure | \ ˈple-zhər

, ˈplā-

Definition of pleasure

(Entry 1 of 2)

1 : desire, inclination wait upon his pleasure— William Shakespeare

2 : a state of gratification

3a : sensual gratification

b : frivolous amusement

4 : a source of delight or joy

pleasure

verb

pleasured; pleasuring\ ˈplezh-riŋ

, ˈplāzh- ; ˈple-zhə- , ˈplā- \

Definition of pleasure (Entry 2 of 2)

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

Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about pleasure

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Choose the Right Synonym for pleasure

Noun

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. He took pleasure in helping others. joy is used for a radiant feeling that is very strong. Hers is a life filled with joy. enjoyment is used for a conscious reaction to something intended to make a person happy. The songs added to our enjoyment of the movie.

Examples of pleasure in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples on the Web: Noun In his off time, the former Orange County surfer/dropout adopted the rhythms of the Eastern Sierra, embracing the beauty and bloody pleasures: trapping and hunting, including bear, elk, deer. — Los Angeles Times, oregonlive, "‘Bear whisperer’ of California keeps critters alive," 16 Feb. 2020 Another community flourished in Reno that, elsewhere in the country, conducted its business and pleasure in the shadows. — Sofia Grant, Time, "How Reno Became 'the Divorce Capital of the World'—And Why That Reputation Faded," 14 Feb. 2020 Methamphetamine causes high levels of the pleasure-inducing chemical dopamine to be released in the brain. — Terry Demio, Cincinnati.com, "What meth does to your body and why it makes people so manic," 13 Feb. 2020 The banjo has long been associated with folk and country music, an instrument whose twangy sound suggests a life of back-porch pleasures and homespun tradition. — Charles Passy, WSJ, "Banjo Player Brings Folksy Flavor to Met Opera’s ‘Porgy and Bess’," 13 Feb. 2020 Inside, the train houses both slums and pleasure palaces. — Ariana Romero, refinery29.com, "To All The Boys," 12 Feb. 2020 The cloud economy exists at the pleasure, and continued profit, of a handful of companies. — Molly Wood, Wired, "We Need to Talk About “Cloud Neutrality”," 10 Feb. 2020 The snap of a fresh carrot or the glug of a chocolate fountain are arguably among the finer pleasures in life. — Eleanor Cummins, Popular Science, "When it comes to food, sound is as important as taste," 6 Feb. 2020 There’s no time for pleasure or gentle exploration. — Michelle Allison, SELF, "I Learned to Ice Skate at Age 39 and I Cannot Recommend It Enough," 5 Feb. 2020 Recent Examples on the Web: Verb He was accused of abusing underage girls and of directing some of them to pleasure some of his rich and powerful friends, including Andrew. — Martha Ross, The Mercury News, "As Jeffrey Epstein’s houseguest, Prince Andrew received foot massages from young Russian women, author reveals," 23 Aug. 2019 Advocates of a morally correct path to happiness also disapprove of taking shortcuts to pleasure with the help of psychotropic drugs. — Rafael Euba, Quartzy, "Why striving for happiness makes people miserable," 23 July 2019 Sometimes, Winslow would pleasure himself at his locker or in his hotel room on team road trips. — cleveland.com, "Kellen Winslow Jr.’s disturbing behavior began early in pro career, Sports Illustrated article says," 14 June 2019 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

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.