as in to annoy
to make discontented
her coworkers' tendency to pry displeased her
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Recent Examples of displease
When time stops one hot summer day and the road out vanishes, not everyone is displeased with the changes, even when the sparse little woods turn into an impassable forest and the river brims with strange, seductive voices.
—
Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Questioning edits is another tool for the president to strike back at journalists who displease him.
—David Bauder, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
From a religious perspective, King Edward IV passed these laws on the grounds that God was displeased by anything other than modest clothing – for the lower classes, anyway.
—Michael Watson, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2025
Evidently, the result displeased Kinahan’s syndicate, which seemed to have expected the horse to lose.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for displease
Literary Hub, 5 Dec. 2025
Questioning edits is another tool for the president to strike back at journalists who displease him.
—David Bauder, Fortune, 12 Nov. 2025
From a religious perspective, King Edward IV passed these laws on the grounds that God was displeased by anything other than modest clothing – for the lower classes, anyway.
—Michael Watson, The Conversation, 20 Oct. 2025
Evidently, the result displeased Kinahan’s syndicate, which seemed to have expected the horse to lose.
—Ed Caesar, New Yorker, 20 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for displease
Recent Examples of Synonyms for displease
Verb
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Last Sunday, the broadcast showed a perplexed, annoyed Wells who thought his team went missing.—
Braidon Nourse,
Denver Post,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Nevertheless, Jude would be annoyed.—
Yiyun Li,
New Yorker,
1 Mar. 2026
Verb
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The slag contained high concentrations of heavy metals and silicate material that, like tiny particles of glass, could be inhaled and irritate the lungs.—
Sarah Henry,
AZCentral.com,
1 Mar. 2026
-
Wear gloves to avoid irritating your skin.—
Brandee Gruener,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
Verb
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When Iranian leaders moved to cut spending on subsidies that help Iranians afford basic essentials, thousands of protesters already dissatisfied with Iran’s political leadership finally took to the streets.—
Shooka Bidarian,
Forbes.com,
16 Jan. 2026
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His 2-3 playoff record came after a long dissatisfying postseason stretch from Chan Gailey (0-2), Bill Parcells (0-2), Phillips (1-2) and before McCarthy (1-3).—
Tim Cowlishaw,
Dallas Morning News,
5 Jan. 2026
Verb
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The executions had shaken many Manbij residents, but others—disturbed by the crime and disorder—were grateful that someone was finally willing to take a stand.—
Anand Gopal,
New Yorker,
28 Feb. 2026
-
New weed seeds will likely sprout, especially if the soil is disturbed.—
Kim Toscano,
Southern Living,
28 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Displease.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/displease. Accessed 4 Mar. 2026.
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