pleasure

play

noun plea·sure \ˈple-zhər, ˈplā-\

Definition of pleasure

1 : desire, inclination wait upon his pleasure — William Shakespeare
2 : a state of gratification
3a : sensual gratificationb : 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

The former pleasure cruiser was 180 feet long, with paddle wheels on both sides of its hull.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "The True Story of Dunkirk, As Told Through the Heroism of the “Medway Queen”," 19 July 2017
Mission Bay’s a huge jigsaw puzzle of aquatic pleasures.

— logan jenkins, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Reserving parking places is wrong, but is it illegal?," 18 July 2017
Its pleasures are textual, extratextual, metatextual—the whole damn spectrum.

— corey atad, Esquire, "Twin Peaks Gains Some Forward Momentum and Begins to Reflect the Real World," 10 July 2017
After all, the GOP had been rehearsing the politics of obstruction and enjoying the innocent pleasures of passing consequences-free legislation for six long years after Republicans retook the House in 2010 (and then the Senate in 2014).

— ed kilgore, Daily Intelligencer, "GOP Senator Explains Party’s Disarray: Nobody Expected Trump to Win," 6 July 2017
Body image and female sexual pleasure, which have previously remained on the fringes of discourse, are rapidly being embraced in mainstream media.

— suzannah weiss, Glamour, "How Virtual Reality Sex Tech Just Might Change Women's Lives," 4 July 2017
Dining al fresco is one of the pleasures of the season.

— vickie snow jurkowski, Daily Southtown, "In dog days of summer, Fido can dine al fresco, too," 29 June 2017
Nonetheless, their lives are altered from the pain and suffering, loss of life’s pleasures, and the emotional effects of the injuries.

— michelle andrews, Kaiser Health News, "House Seeks To Cap Malpractice Awards As Part Of Health Care Update," 27 June 2017
Your brother, Kenny Higgs, was an NBA player who had escaped Owensboro and told you about the pleasures beyond Kentucky.

— ethan bauer, miamiherald, "Former Dolphins see declining health of predecessors and wonder: Are we next?," 24 June 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.

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

See Words from the same year

pleasure

verb plea·sure

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

First Known Use of pleasure

1537

PLEASURE Defined for English Language Learners

pleasure

play

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

play

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?