Word
pleasure
Phoneticsplea·sure, stress on the first syllable
US/ˈpɫɛʒɝ/
UK/plˈɛʒɐ/
Definitions
01feeling of enjoyment
B1 · Intermediate Uncountable noun
n. the feeling of being happy, satisfied, or enjoying something.
n. a state of gratification or contentment derived from an experience or activity.
日本語:喜び※
Español:voluptuosidad
“She read the book for pure pleasure rather than for her school project.”
“The chef takes immense pleasure in watching diners experience his creations for the first time, noting their reactions to every subtle flavour.”
Antonyms
02a source of joy
B1 · Intermediate Countable noun
n. a specific thing or activity that makes you feel happy.
n. a person, object, or event that serves as a source of enjoyment.
日本語:楽しみ※
“It was a pleasure to meet your family after hearing so much about them.”
“One of the simple pleasures of rural life is the profound silence that settles over the valley after a heavy snowfall.”
03will or choice
C1 · Advanced Uncountable noun Formal
n. what you want or choose to do, often used in formal situations.
n. the will, desire, or arbitrary choice of a person, particularly one in a position of authority.
“The shop is open at the owner's pleasure, so the hours vary.”
“In many constitutional systems, certain high-ranking officials serve at the pleasure of the president, meaning they can be dismissed without cause.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
04to give enjoyment
C2 · Proficiency Formal
v. to give someone a feeling of happiness or satisfaction.
v. to afford or provide gratification to another person. Often carries a sexual connotation depending on context.
“The musician worked hard to pleasure the audience with his performance.”
“The garden was designed specifically to pleasure the senses, featuring fragrant herbs and the soothing sound of running water.”
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “pleasure” in context.
Verb
01. beam with pleasure
“The proud parents were beaming with pleasure at the graduation.”
verb + prep + noun
02. derive pleasure
“Many people derive pleasure from gardening and being outdoors.”
verb + noun
03. give pleasure
“These flowers were intended to give pleasure to the patients.”
verb + noun
04. pleasure lasts
“The initial pleasure of winning lasts only a short time.”
noun + verb
05. seek pleasure
“He spent his youth traveling the world to seek pleasure and adventure.”
verb + noun
Adjective
06. great pleasure
“It gives me great pleasure to introduce our guest speaker tonight.”
adj + noun
07. guilty pleasure
“Eating chocolate for breakfast is my favorite guilty pleasure.”
adj + noun
08. immense pleasure
“The children took immense pleasure in playing with their new toys.”
adj + noun
09. simple pleasure
“Walking in the park is one of life's simple pleasures.”
adj + noun
Noun
10. sense of pleasure
“A warm sense of pleasure washed over her when she saw the results.”
noun + prep + noun
11. combine business with pleasure
“I'm traveling to Paris for a conference, so I'll combine business with pleasure.”
12. my pleasure
“Thank you for the gift! — My pleasure, I'm glad you like it.”
Real-World Examples
“Aphrodisiacs are substances – food or drugs – that increase levels of arousal, sexual desire, behaviour and pleasure after consuming them.” “One answer would be a life spent doing things you enjoy and which bring you pleasure.” “Teaching people about achieving sexual pleasure can help sell safe-sex messages, say researchers from the World Health Organization.” “Common sense tells us that people seek pleasure and avoid pain.” Etymology
From Early Modern English pleasur, plesur, alteration (with ending accommodated to -ure) of Middle English plaisir (“pleasure”), from Old French plesir, plaisir (“to please”), infinitive used as a noun, conjugated form of plaisir or plaire, from Latin placeō (“to please, to seem good”), from the Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-k- (“wide and flat”). Related to Dutch plezier (“pleasure, fun”). More at please.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
NOUN
ADJECTIVE
ADVERB
Related words
Idioms
01. guilty pleasure
02. pleasure oneself
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B1 PreliminaryIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.4.0–5.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 3.0–3.544–71TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.550–784
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B1 · IntermediateOxford
- Updated
- アルファベット
- 読み方の一覧 →
QR code
englishreference.com/q/pleasure
※ 機械で選んだ訳語です。ネイティブスピーカーによる確認はまだです。
「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0
Traducciones: Kaikki.org (Wiktionary), CC BY-SA 4.0