pleasure
pleasure
Pronunciation
/ˈplɛʒər/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds by syllable:
plea-: /plɛ/
/p/: voiceless bilabial plosive
/l/: voiced alveolar lateral approximant
/ɛ/: open-mid front unrounded vowel
-sure: /ʒər/
/ʒ/: voiced postalveolar fricative
/ər/: r-colored vowel (or schwa with r-coloring)
Word Form Variations
Noun:
Singular: pleasure (e.g., "It was a great pleasure to meet you.")
Plural: pleasures (e.g., "He enjoys the simple pleasures of life.")
Verb:
The verb form is "to pleasure," which is less common in everyday speech than "to please," but it does exist, often meaning to give pleasure to someone, particularly in a sexual context, or to take pleasure in something.
Infinitive: to pleasure
Present Tense:
I pleasure
you pleasure
he/she/it pleasures
we pleasure
you pleasure
they pleasure
Past Tense: pleasured (e.g., "He pleasured his partner.")
Present Participle: pleasuring (e.g., "They are pleasuring themselves with good food.")
Past Participle: pleasured (e.g., "He was pleasured by the music.")
Adjective:
pleasurable (e.g., "It was a pleasurable experience.")
pleased (often used as an adjective, derived from the verb "to please," meaning feeling or showing pleasure, e.g., "I'm pleased with the results.")
pleasing (also derived from "to please," meaning giving pleasure or satisfaction, e.g., "The pleasing aroma filled the room.")
Adverb:
pleasurably (e.g., "She sighed pleasurably.")
pleasingly (e.g., "The meal was pleasingly simple.")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Noun
A state of feeling, or an experience, characterized by enjoyment, delight, or satisfaction. This refers to the internal sensation of happiness or gratification.
Synonyms: joy, delight, enjoyment, happiness, gratification, contentment, bliss, ecstasy, euphoria
Antonyms: pain, discomfort, suffering, misery, sorrow, displeasure, anguish, agony
Something that causes enjoyment, delight, or satisfaction. This refers to the external source or activity that brings about the positive feeling.
Synonyms: treat, delight, joy, amusement, entertainment, diversion, gratification, luxury, indulgence, recreation
Antonyms: chore, burden, task, hardship, affliction, ordeal, nuisance
One's personal will, desire, or preference, especially when expressed politely or formally. Often used in phrases like "at your pleasure" or "with pleasure."
Synonyms: will, desire, preference, inclination, wish, choice, consent, agreement
Antonyms: compulsion, obligation, duty, requirement, command (in a forceful sense)
Verb
To give enjoyment or satisfaction to someone; to cause someone to feel pleasure. This often implies a deliberate act of pleasing another, sometimes with a romantic or sexual connotation.
Synonyms: please, gratify, delight, gladden, satisfy, charm, thrill, excite
Antonyms: displease, annoy, bother, upset, dissatisfy, irritate, vex, offend
To take enjoyment or satisfaction from something; to derive pleasure from an activity or experience.
Synonyms: enjoy, delight in, relish, revel in, savor, luxuriate in
Antonyms: dislike, detest, abhor, loathe, despise, dread
Adjective
Pleasurable: Causing enjoyment, delight, or satisfaction; agreeable or enjoyable. This describes something that is inherently capable of bringing pleasure.
Synonyms: enjoyable, delightful, gratifying, agreeable, pleasant, delectable, satisfying, charming, lovely
Antonyms: unpleasant, disagreeable, painful, undesirable, tiresome, arduous, difficult, arduous
Pleased: Feeling or showing happiness or satisfaction. This describes a state of mind resulting from receiving pleasure. (Often the past participle of "to please" used adjectivally).
Synonyms: happy, delighted, satisfied, contented, glad, joyful, chuffed (informal)
Antonyms: displeased, unhappy, dissatisfied, upset, disappointed, annoyed, miserable
Pleasing: Giving enjoyment or satisfaction; agreeable or attractive. This describes something that has the quality of bringing pleasure or is aesthetically appealing. (Often the present participle of "to please" used adjectivally).
Synonyms: agreeable, charming, attractive, delightful, enjoyable, satisfying, lovely, winsome, appealing
Antonyms: unpleasing, disagreeable, unattractive, unpleasant, annoying, irritating, offensive
Adverb
Pleasurably: In a way that causes or shows enjoyment or satisfaction. Describes an action or experience that brings pleasure.
Synonyms: enjoyably, delightfully, happily, contentedly, agreeably, blissfully, joyfully
Antonyms: unpleasantly, painfully, miserably, sadly, discontentedly, annoyingly
Pleasingly: In a way that is agreeable or satisfactory. Describes how something appears or functions in a way that is satisfying.
Synonyms: agreeably, attractively, delightfully, satisfactorily, charmingly, nicely
Antonyms: unpleasingly, disagreeably, unattractively, unsatisfactorily, annoyingly
Examples of Use
Books:
"It was a pleasure to burn." (Ray Bradbury, Fahrenheit 451, 1953)
"Every one of us is, in the cosmic perspective, precious. If a human disagrees with an idea, he must be allowed to disagree. He must be allowed to restate his case and if necessary to go on to the ultimate pleasure of his own destruction." (Carl Sagan, Cosmos, 1980)
Newspapers:
"The prime minister expressed his pleasure at the positive direction of the peace talks." ( The Guardian)
"Local chefs will pleasure your palate with an array of exotic flavors at this year's food festival." (Daily Nation)
Online Publications:
"Finding pleasure in the small moments can significantly improve mental well-being." ( Psychology Today)
"The new streaming service aims to pleasure viewers with an unparalleled selection of classic films." ( Variety.com)
"While the movie was generally well-received, some critics found the ending pleasurably ambiguous." (IndieWire.com)
"Are you pleased with the outcome of the recent election?" (BBC News Online Poll)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "It's been a pleasure working with you." (Common dialogue in many films, e.g., The Devil Wears Prada, 2006)
Music: "I get no pleasure, no pleasure from this pain." (Lyrics from "No Pleasure" by The Stranglers, 1978)
Television: "We are pleased to announce the renewal of 'The Crown' for another season." (Netflix announcement on social media, June 2024)
Video Games: "Your actions have pleased the Elder Council." (Dialogue from a fantasy role-playing game, e.g., The Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim, 2011)
General Public Discourse:
"It's my pleasure." (A common polite response to "Thank you.")
"Are you going to the concert? I hear it's going to be really pleasurable."
"I take great pleasure in cooking for my friends and family."
"The children were pleased with their new toys."
"He smiled pleasingly as he accepted the award."
10 Quotes Using Pleasure
"The greatest pleasure in life is doing what people say you cannot do." (Walter Bagehot)
"There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it." (Mary Wilson Little)
"I have been a man of many sorrows, and I have found no pleasure in them." (Oscar Wilde)
"Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family." (Kofi Annan)
"A man's true pleasure is to do the things he can." (Plato)
"We are afraid to care too much, for fear that the other person does not care at all. (Eleanor Roosevelt)
"I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel." (Maya Angelou)
"My pleasure is my business." (Vincent Price as Egghead, Batman TV Series)
"The pleasure of reading is the greatest joy of life." (Willie Maugham)
"The pleasure of all reading is to find oneself." (Antoine de Saint-Exupéry)
Etymology
The word "pleasure" has a fascinating journey through languages, ultimately pointing back to the idea of something being "agreeable" or "pleasing."
Its roots trace back to Latin. The Latin verb placeō meant "to please" or "to seem good." From this, the Old French verb plaisir (meaning "to please") developed.
Interestingly, in Old French, this verb plaisir was also used as a noun to describe the feeling of "enjoyment" or "delight." This is where the English word gets its direct start.
The English word "pleasure" came into use in the late 14th century, specifically around 1325-1375. At this time, it appeared in Middle English as "plesire" or "plesur."
Its initial meanings in English were quite broad and consistent with its French origin. It referred to:
A source of enjoyment or a pleasing quality/thing: This means something that makes you feel good, whether it's a sensory experience (like good food) or something that appeals to your mind.
Discretion, will, or desire: This is why you see phrases like "at your pleasure," meaning "when you wish" or "according to your preference."
Over time, other specific meanings emerged, like "gratification," "sensual gratification," and even the idea of indulging appetites as a main goal in life. But the core idea of something being "agreeable" or "satisfying" has remained at the heart of the word "pleasure" since its first known use.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Pleasure
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "pleasure":
At your pleasure: When you wish; according to your desire.
With pleasure: A polite and enthusiastic way of saying "yes" or "I'd be happy to."
My pleasure: A polite response to "thank you," meaning "it was my pleasure to help."
For pleasure: For enjoyment or recreation, not for work or necessity.
Take pleasure in (doing something): To enjoy doing something.
Give pleasure to (someone): To make someone happy or satisfied.
The pleasure is all mine: A polite phrase said when meeting someone, implying the enjoyment of the meeting is greater for oneself.
A guilty pleasure: Something one enjoys despite feeling it is not respectable or healthy.
To pleasure oneself: To derive self-satisfaction, often with a sexual connotation.
Seek pleasure: To actively pursue enjoyable experiences or gratification.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of pleasure from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
