English Dictionary
Definition of “pleasure”
pleasure (ˈplɛʒə
)
Definitions
noun
- an agreeable or enjoyable sensation or emotion ⇒
the pleasure of hearing good music
- something that gives or affords enjoyment or delight ⇒
his garden was his only pleasure
- amusement, recreation, or enjoyment
- ((as modifier) ⇒
a pleasure boat
pleasure ground
- euphemistic sexual gratification or enjoyment ⇒
he took his pleasure of her
- a person's preference or choice
verb
- when intr, often foll by in to give pleasure to or take pleasure (in)
Alternative Forms
ˈpleasureful adjective ˈpleasureless adjective Word Origin
C14 plesir, from Old French; related to Old French plaisir to please
Quotations
"Everyone is dragged on by their favourite pleasure"
Virgil"Pleasure's a sin, and sometimes sin's a pleasure"
Lord Byron"Sweet is pleasure after pain"
John Dryden"The rapturous, wild, and ineffable pleasureOf drinking at somebody else's expense"
Henry Sambrooke Leigh"Pleasure is nothing else but the intermission of pain"
John Selden"One half of the world cannot understand the pleasures of the other"
Jane Austen
Translations
- British English:
pleasure
If something gives you pleasure, you get a feeling of happiness, satisfaction, or enjoyment from it.Everybody takes pleasure in eating.ˈplɛʒə NOUN Everybody takes pleasure in eating.
- Spanish:
placer
nm
- French:
plaisir
nm
- German:
Vergnügen
nnt Vergnügen
- Chinese: 愉快 n
- Arabic: سُرور n
- Portuguese: prazer nm
- Russian: удовольствие nnt
- Croatian: zadovoljstvo nnt
- Czech: potěšení nnt
- Danish: fornøjelse nutr
- Dutch: plezier nnt
- Finnish: ilo n
- Greek: ευχαρίστηση nf
- Italian: piacere nm
- Japanese: 楽しみ n
- Korean: 기쁨 n
- Norwegian: fornøyelse nm
- Polish: przyjemność nf
- Brazilian Portuguese: prazer nm
- European Spanish:
placer
nm
- Swedish: nöje nnt
- Thai: ความปิติยินดี n
- Turkish: zevk n
- Vietnamese: thú vui n
Usage examples
His pleasure in the remembrance of things past was broken by the arrival of Manfred with a steaming mug of coffee.
Val McDermid, THE LAST TEMPTATION (2002)The same regions become active when a person enjoys the pleasure of eating chocolate, she adds.
New Scientist (2003)Hariri, in turn, talks about the pleasure of working for an educated client.
Globe and Mail (2003)A child, indeed, whose birth excited pleasure , not rapture; whom no-one ever thought would sit on the throne.
Glasgow Herald (2001)The next specimen, cow's urine, showed "too great a pleasure in women".
Jim Leavesley, George Biro, THE MEDICAL MYSTERIES E-OMNIBUS (2001)
