Adjacent Words

Pleasure definitions

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Webster's 1828 Dictionary

PLEASURE, n. plezh'ur.
1. The gratification of the senses or of the mind; agreeable sensations or emotions; the excitement, relish or happiness produced by enjoyment or the expectation of good; opposed to pain. We receive pleasure from the indulgence of appetite; from the view of a beautiful landscape; from the harmony of sounds; from agreeable society; from the expectation of seeing an absent friend; from the prospect of gain or success of any kind. Pleasure, bodily and mental, carnal and spiritual, constitutes the whole of positive happiness, as pain constitutes the whole of misery.
Pleasure is properly positive excitement of the passions or the mind; but we give the name also to the absence of excitement, when that excitement is painful; as when we cease to labor, or repose after fatigue, or when the mind is tranquilized after anxiety or agitation.
Pleasure is susceptible of increase to any degree; but the word when unqualified, expresses less excitement or happiness than delight or joy.
2. Sensual or sexual gratification.
3. Approbation.
The Lord taketh pleasure in his people. Psalms 147.
and 149.
4. What the will dictates or prefers; will; choice; purpose; intention; command; as, use your pleasure.
Cyrus, he is my shepherd and shall perform all my pleasure. Isaiah 44.
My counsel shall stand and I will do all my pleasure.
Isaiah 46.
5. A favor; that which pleases.
Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure, answered Paul. Acts 25.
6. Arbitrary will or choice. He can vary his scheme at pleasure.
PLEAS'URE, v.t. plezh'ur. To give or afford pleasure to; to please; to gratify. [A word authorized by some good writers, but superfluous and not much used.]

WordNet (r) 3.0 (2005)

n
1: a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience; "he was tingling with pleasure" [syn: pleasure, pleasance] [ant: pain, painfulness]
2: something or someone that provides a source of happiness; "a joy to behold"; "the pleasure of his company"; "the new car is a delight" [syn: joy, delight, pleasure]
3: a formal expression; "he serves at the pleasure of the President"
4: an activity that affords enjoyment; "he puts duty before pleasure"
5: sexual gratification; "he took his pleasure of her"

Merriam Webster's

I. noun Etymology: Middle English plesure, alteration of plesir, from Anglo-French plaisir, from plaisir to please Date: 14th century 1. desire, inclination <wait upon his pleasure — Shakespeare> 2. a state of gratification 3. a. sensual gratification b. frivolous amusement 4. a source of delight or joy II. verb (pleasured; pleasuring) Date: 1537 transitive verb 1. to give pleasure to ; gratify 2. to give sexual pleasure to intransitive verb 1. to take pleasure ; delight 2. to seek pleasure

Oxford Reference Dictionary

n. & v. --n. 1 a feeling of satisfaction or joy. 2 enjoyment. 3 a source of pleasure or gratification (painting was my chief pleasure; it is a pleasure to talk to them). 4 formal a person's will or desire (what is your pleasure?). 5 sensual gratification or enjoyment (a life of pleasure). 6 (attrib.) done or used for pleasure (pleasure-ground). --v. 1 tr. give (esp. sexual) pleasure to. 2 intr. (often foll. by in) take pleasure. Phrases and idioms: take pleasure in like doing. with pleasure gladly. Etymology: ME & OF plesir, plaisir PLEASE, used as a noun

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pleasure Pleas"ure, v. t. [imp. & p. p. Pleasured; p. pr. & vb. n. Pleasuring.] To give or afford pleasure to; to please; to gratify. --Shak. [Rolled] his hoop to pleasure Edith. --Tennyson.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pleasure Pleas"ure, v. i. To take pleasure; to seek pursue pleasure; as, to go pleasuring.

Webster's 1913 Dictionary

Pleasure Pleas"ure, n. [F. plaisir, originally an infinitive. See Please.] 1. The gratification of the senses or of the mind; agreeable sensations or emotions; the excitement, relish, or happiness produced by the expectation or the enjoyment of something good, delightful, or satisfying; -- opposed to pain, sorrow, etc. At thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. --Ps. xvi. 11. 2. Amusement; sport; diversion; self-indulgence; frivolous or dissipating enjoyment; hence, sensual gratification; -- opposed to labor, service, duty, self-denial, etc. ``Not sunk in carnal pleasure.'' --Milton. He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man. --Prov. xxi. 17. Lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God. --2 Tim. iii. 4. 3. What the will dictates or prefers as gratifying or satisfying; hence, will; choice; wish; purpose. ``He will do his pleasure on Babylon.'' --Isa. xlviii. 14. Use your pleasure; if your love do not presuade you to come, let not my letter. --Shak. 4. That which pleases; a favor; a gratification. --Shak. Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure --Acts xxv. 9. At pleasure, by arbitrary will or choice. --Dryden. To take pleasure in, to have enjoyment in. --Ps. cxlvii. 11. Note: Pleasure is used adjectively, or in the formation of self-explaining compounds; as, pleasure boat, pleasure ground; pleasure house, etc. Syn: Enjoyment; gratification; satisfaction; comfort; solace; joy; gladness; delight; will; choice; preference; purpose; command; favor; kindness.

Collin's Cobuild Dictionary

(pleasures) Frequency: The word is one of the 3000 most common words in English. 1. If something gives you pleasure, you get a feeling of happiness, satisfaction, or enjoyment from it. Watching sport gave him great pleasure... Everybody takes pleasure in eating... N-UNCOUNT: oft N from/in n/-ing 2. Pleasure is the activity of enjoying yourself, especially rather than working or doing what you have a duty to do. He mixed business and pleasure in a perfect and dynamic way... I read for pleasure. 3. A pleasure is an activity, experience or aspect of something that you find very enjoyable or satisfying. Watching TV is our only pleasure. ...the pleasure of seeing a smiling face. N-COUNT: oft N of n/-ing 4. If you meet someone for the first time, you can say, as a way of being polite, that it is a pleasure to meet them. You can also ask for the pleasure of someone's company as a polite and formal way of inviting them somewhere. 'A pleasure to meet you, sir,' he said... CONVENTION [politeness] 5. You can say 'It's a pleasure' or 'My pleasure' as a polite way of replying to someone who has just thanked you for doing something. 'Thanks very much anyhow.'—'It's a pleasure.' CONVENTION [formulae]

International Standard Bible Encyclopedia

plezh'-ur (chephets, ratson; eudokia, hedone: "Pleasure" is the translation of various Hebrew words, chiefly of chephets, "inclination," hence, "pleasure," "delight" (Job 21:21, "What pleasure hath he in his house?" the American Standard Revised Version "what careth he for"; Job 22:3, "Is it any pleasure to the Almighty?"; Ps 111:2; Ec 5:4; 12:1; in Isa 44:28; 46:10; 48:14; 53:10, it has the sense of will or purpose, "He shall perform all my pleasure," etc.); of ratson, "delight," "acceptance," "good will" (Ezr 10:11; Ne 9:37; Es 1:8; Ps 51:18; 103:21, etc.); nephesh, "soul," "desire" is translated "pleasure" (De 23:24; Ps 105:22; Jer 34:16).

In the New Testament "pleasure" is the translation of eudokia, "good thought or will," "good pleasure" (Lu 2:14 the Revised Version margin; Eph 1:5,9; Php 2:13; 2Th 1:11 the Revised Version (British and American) "every desire of goodness," margin "Greek: `good pleasure of goodness.' Compare Ro 10:1").

"To take pleasure or to have pleasure" is eudokeo (2Co 12:10; 2Th 2:12; Heb 10:6,8,38); eudokeo is once translated "good pleasure" (Lu 12:32, "It is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom"); the neuter participle of dokeo, "to think," etc.--meaning "it seems good to me"--to dokoun, is translated "pleasure" (Heb 12:10, "after their pleasure," the Revised Version (British and American) "as seemed good to them"); hedone, "sweetness," "pleasure," occurs in Lu 8:14; Tit 3:3; 2Pe 2:13 (referring to the lower pleasures of life); thelema, "wish," "will" (Re 4:11, the Revised Version (British and American) "because of thy will"); charis, "favor" (Ac 24:27; 25:9, the Revised Version (British and American) "favor"); spatalao "to live voluptuously" (1Ti 5:6, the Revised Version (British and American) "she that giveth herself to pleasure"); suneudokeo, "to think well with," "to take pleasure with others" (Ro 1:32, the Revised Version (British and American) "consent with"); truphao, "to live luxuriously" (Jas 5:5, the Revised Version (British and American) "lived delicately").

The verb "to pleasure" occurs in 2 Macc 2:27 as the translation of eucharistia, the Revised Version (British and American) "gratitude"; 12:11, ophelesein, the Revised Version (British and American) "to help."

W. L. Walker

Soule's Dictionary of English Synonyms

n. 1. Enjoyment, gratification, comfort, delight, joy, gladness, temporary happiness, satisfaction, solace. 2. Sensuality, voluptuousness, luxury, animal gratification. 3. Will, choice, preference, purpose, wish, mind, desire. 4. Favor, kindness.

Moby Thesaurus

affability, agreeability, agreeableness, alternate choice, alternative, amenity, amiability, amicability, amusement, animus, appetence, appetency, appetite, ardor, behest, bidding, bliss, blissfulness, choice, comfort, command, commandment, compatibility, complaisance, conation, conatus, concupiscence, congeniality, contentment, cordiality, curiosity, decision, delectate, delectation, delight, desideration, desire, determination, dictate, dictation, direct order, discretion, disposition, diversion, divertisement, divertissement, drive, eagerness, enjoyableness, enjoyment, entertainment, fancy, fantasy, felicitousness, felicity, free choice, free will, fruition, geniality, gladden, goodliness, goodness, graciousness, gratification, gratify, happify, happiness, harmoniousness, hest, hope, horme, imperative, inclination, intellectual curiosity, intention, joy, joyance, kick, libido, liking, lust, lust for learning, mellifluousness, mellowness, mind, mirth, need, niceness, objective, option, optionality, order, passe-temps, passion, pastime, pleasance, pleasingness, pleasurability, pleasurableness, pleasure principle, pleasurefulness, possible choice, preference, rapport, recreation, regalement, relaxation, relish, resolution, satisfaction, say-so, sexual desire, solace, special order, sweetness, thirst for knowledge, thrill, urge, velleity, volition, want, wanting, welcomeness, will, will and pleasure, will power, wish, wish fulfillment, word, word of command