From Early Modern English pleasur, plesur, alteration (with ending accommodated to -ure) of Middle English plaisir, from Old French plesir, plaisir ("to please"), infinitive used as a noun, conjugated form of plaisir or plaire, from Latin placeō, from the Proto-Indo-European *pleh₂-k-.

• (RP) IPA: /ˈplɛʒə/
• (America) enPR: plĕzhʹər, IPA: /ˈplɛʒɚ/

pleasure

1. (uncountable) A state of being pleased or contented; gratification.

   Synonyms: delight, gladness, gratification, happiness, indulgence, satisfaction

   Antonyms: displeasure, pain

   He remembered with pleasure his home and family.

   I get a lot of pleasure from watching others work hard while I relax.

2. (countable) A person, thing or action that causes enjoyment.

   Synonyms: delight, joy

   It was a pleasure to meet you.

   Having a good night's sleep is one of life's little pleasures.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Acts 25:9 ↗:

     Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure

   • 1897 December (indicated as 1898), Winston Churchill, chapter VIII, in The Celebrity: An Episode, New York, N.Y.: The Macmillan Company; London: Macmillan & Co., Ltd., →OCLC ↗:

     The humor of my proposition appealed more strongly to Miss Trevor than I had looked for, and from that time forward she became her old self again; […] . Now she had come to look upon the matter in its true proportions, and her anticipation of a possible chance of teaching him a lesson was a pleasure to behold.

3. (uncountable) Sexual enjoyment.
4. (uncountable) One's preference.

   Synonyms: desire, fancy, want, will, wish

   What is your pleasure: coffee or tea?

5. (formal, uncountable) The will or desire of someone or some agency in power.

   Synonyms: discretion

   to hold an office at pleasure: to hold it indefinitely until it is revoked

   to be imprisoned at Her Majesty's pleasure: to be imprisoned indefinitely

   at Congress's pleasure: whenever or as long as Congress desires

   • c. 1596–1598 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Merchant of Venice”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC ↗, [Act III, scene ii]:

     Use your pleasure; if your love do not persuade you to come, let not my letter.

   • 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC ↗, Isaiah 48:14 ↗:

     He will do his pleasure on Babylon.

• French: plaisir
• German: Vergnügen
• Italian: piacere, piacimento, goduria
• Portuguese: prazer
• Russian: удово́льствие
• Spanish: placer

• French: plaisir
• German: Freude, Spaß
• Italian: piacere
• Portuguese: prazer
• Russian: удово́льствие
• Spanish: placer

• French: volupté
• German: Wollust
• Italian: voluttà
• Portuguese: voluptuosidade
• Russian: наслажде́ние
• Spanish: voluptuosidad

• French: désir
• Italian: preferenza, scelta
• Russian: скло́нность

• Italian: piacimento

1. pleased to meet you, "It's my pleasure"

pleasure (pleasures, present participle pleasuring; simple past and past participle pleasured)

1. (transitive) To give or afford pleasure to.

   Synonyms: please, gratify

   • 1864, Alfred Tennyson, “Aylmer’s Field”, in Enoch Arden, &c., London: Edward Moxon & Co., […], →OCLC ↗, page 55 ↗:

     [H]e / [...] / Had tost his ball and flown his kite, and roll'd / His hoop to pleasure Edith, [...]

2. (transitive) To give sexual pleasure to.

   Johnny pleasured Jackie with his mouth last night.

3. (intransitive, dated) To take pleasure; to seek or pursue pleasure.

   to go pleasuring

• displeasure
• please
• pleasant

• Portuguese: agradar
• Spanish: gustar