1
: desire, inclination
wait upon his pleasure—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare2
: a state of gratification
3
a
: sensual gratification
b
: frivolous amusement
4
: a source of delight or joy
pleasured; pleasuring
ˈplezh-riŋ 
ˈplāzh-;
ˈple-zhə-,
ˈplā-
Synonyms
Examples of pleasure in a Sentence
Noun
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.
Verb
a wine that is sure to pleasure even the most discriminating palate
Recent Examples on the WebUSA TODAY, 2 July 2024
What if pleasure and desire were indeed far wilder than any social order could contain?
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 28 June 2024
Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 3 July 2024
Testimony during her trial revealed how the socialite instructed teen victims as young as 14 on how to pleasure Epstein and sometimes joined in the abuse.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pleasure 
Noun
Mercury enters Leo and your zone of play and pleasure today.
—USA TODAY, 2 July 2024
What if pleasure and desire were indeed far wilder than any social order could contain?
—Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 28 June 2024
Verb
Preferably, by a beefed up boy toy half her age who wants nothing more than to pleasure her.
—Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 3 July 2024
Testimony during her trial revealed how the socialite instructed teen victims as young as 14 on how to pleasure Epstein and sometimes joined in the abuse.
—John Annese, New York Daily News, 3 Jan. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pleasure
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pleasure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near pleasure
Cite this Entry
“Pleasure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pleasure. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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