1
as in enjoyment
the feeling experienced when one's wishes are met
nothing gives me more pleasure than a hot meal after a long day
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in joy
a source of great satisfaction
the new car is a real pleasure to drive
Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in delight
someone or something that provides amusement or enjoyment
a good-humored girl who's a pleasure to be around
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
as in to delight
to give satisfaction to
a wine that is sure to pleasure even the most discriminating palate
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pleasure
Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
By patriarchal design, there is nothing less desirable and less attractive than a woman who refuses to be the vessel of men’s pleasure, literally and metaphorically—lesbianism is the ultimate rejection of the role prescribed to us as women.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Jason Guriel, Air Mail, 21 Feb. 2026
In one especially heated sequence, Catherine, overcome with lust, dashes off to the moors and pleasures herself ferociously against the rocks.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pleasure
Noun
Order at the counter from a seasonally evolving menu where every dish is a pleasure.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 7 May 2026
By patriarchal design, there is nothing less desirable and less attractive than a woman who refuses to be the vessel of men’s pleasure, literally and metaphorically—lesbianism is the ultimate rejection of the role prescribed to us as women.
—Literary Hub, 7 May 2026
Verb
David Foster Wallace’s Infinite Jest—which turns 30 this month—foresaw a near-future America pleasuring itself to death.
—Jason Guriel, Air Mail, 21 Feb. 2026
In one especially heated sequence, Catherine, overcome with lust, dashes off to the moors and pleasures herself ferociously against the rocks.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 9 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pleasure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasure
Noun
-
The situation is tricky enough in the case of innovations that users voluntarily adopt—plenty of people do not let their dim view of Meta overly interfere with their enjoyment of Instagram.—
Gideon Lewis-Kraus,
New Yorker,
7 May 2026
-
The Moon in Capricorn moves through your 5th House, opposing Jupiter in your 11th, highlighting personal enjoyment versus group obligations.—
Tarot.com,
Baltimore Sun,
7 May 2026
Noun
-
Indeed, hearing about your trips could bring them a lot of joy.—
R. Eric Thomas,
Chicago Tribune,
12 May 2026
-
Motherhood has been the greatest joy of my life.—
Angel Saunders,
PEOPLE,
11 May 2026
Noun
-
Screenwriter Jeremy Slater takes pains to pay homage to the games as much as possible, featuring so many throwaway references that the aficionados at the press screening were screaming with delight.—
Frank Scheck,
HollywoodReporter,
6 May 2026
-
Susie, on the other hand, continues to be a perfect delight.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The legal flimsiness of the indictment indicates just how far Blanche’s DOJ is willing to go to please the president.—
Quinta Jurecic,
The Atlantic,
3 May 2026
-
ChatGPT feels a little eager to please.—
Benjamin Svetkey,
HollywoodReporter,
1 May 2026
Noun
-
Musgraves’s core concern on Middle of Nowhere is reaching a place of self-sufficiency and contentment untangled from the worry of navigating others’ bad moods.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
7 May 2026
-
Every post-beach bike ride back to our villa was wrapped in a peaceful, quiet contentment.—
Katherine Polcari,
Southern Living,
2 May 2026
Noun
-
In addition to founding CNN, the first 24-hour cable news network, Turner launched multiple TV and entertainment brands -- including Cartoon Network, TNT and Turner Classic Movies.—
Mason Leib,
ABC News,
6 May 2026
-
The company’s entertainment streaming operation posted an 88% leap in operating income, reaching $582 million.—
Dade Hayes,
Deadline,
6 May 2026
Verb
-
The judges also questioned Texas Solicitor General William Peterson over his arguments that the House is prevented from using proxy voting under the quorum clause, questioning if physical presence is needed to satisfy that requirement.—
Jack Birle,
The Washington Examiner,
12 May 2026
-
Watering every couple of weeks will satisfy this fragrant perennial.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
12 May 2026
Noun
-
This is one of the lowest satisfaction rates in the country, about 10 percentage points behind the South and Mid-Atlantic.—
Sara B. Hansen,
Denver Post,
9 May 2026
-
The evaluations are designed to measure the quality and performance of health plans on the basis of patient satisfaction and the use of clinically appropriate tests and treatments.—
Joshua P. Cohen,
Forbes.com,
9 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleasure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasure. Accessed 14 May. 2026.
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