1
: desire, inclination
… wait upon his pleasure …—
William Shakespeare
William Shakespeare2
: a state of gratification
I paint for the pleasure of it.
She takes pleasure in helping others.
"Would you do this for me?" "With pleasure." [=I would be happy to do it]
3
a
: sensual gratification
b
: frivolous amusement
business or pleasure
4
: a source of delight or joy
It's been a pleasure working with you.
"Thanks for your help." "It was my pleasure." [=I was happy to help]
Now I can enjoy the simple pleasures of life, like being with my family.
see also guilty pleasure
pleasured; pleasuring
ˈplezh-riŋ 
ˈplāzh-;
ˈple-zhə-,
ˈplā-
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 Web
Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
But where Destiny’s Child depicted small acts of service as intimate foreplay, Mai drops the come-ons and finds pleasure in the favors themselves.
—Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
Erica Sweeney, SELF, 4 Feb. 2026
And then there’s the woman herself, Perfidia Beverly Hills (played by Teyana Taylor), a Black revolutionary who mixes politics and pleasure with brash abandon.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pleasure
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Noun
This is what happens when the world slows down just enough to feel it—the strange and beautiful pleasure of being nowhere in particular, with people who’ve also pressed pause on their lives.
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 11 Feb. 2026
But where Destiny’s Child depicted small acts of service as intimate foreplay, Mai drops the come-ons and finds pleasure in the favors themselves.
—Stephen Kearse, Pitchfork, 11 Feb. 2026
Verb
But pleasuring yourself could actually relieve some of these symptoms.
—Erica Sweeney, SELF, 4 Feb. 2026
And then there’s the woman herself, Perfidia Beverly Hills (played by Teyana Taylor), a Black revolutionary who mixes politics and pleasure with brash abandon.
—Anna Holmes, The Atlantic, 26 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pleasure
Cite this Entry
“Pleasure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pleasure. Accessed 15 Feb. 2026.
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