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
Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
At the same time, your routines and responsibilities could demand more of your time and attention, creating a push-pull between the pleasure accessible to you and your innate preference for productivity.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Sophie has spent so long this season being a role of service, and for Benedict to now be washing her hair and then pleasuring her felt like a really nice switcheroo that Sophie deeply deserved.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pleasure
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
The Santa Fe burrito is a genuine pleasure—more restrained, built on a smaller scale, with green chile doing the complex, vegetal, low-burning work that other versions might leave to salsa—though, again, the tortilla serves its contents, rather than the hosannas going the other way.
—Helen Rosner, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
At the same time, your routines and responsibilities could demand more of your time and attention, creating a push-pull between the pleasure accessible to you and your innate preference for productivity.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 1 May 2026
Verb
Finances, confidence and self-worth could be tied to pleasure, dating or spending habits today.
—Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 24 Apr. 2026
Sophie has spent so long this season being a role of service, and for Benedict to now be washing her hair and then pleasuring her felt like a really nice switcheroo that Sophie deeply deserved.
—Carly Thomas, HollywoodReporter, 27 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pleasure
Cite this Entry
“Pleasure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pleasure. Accessed 5 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
