plea ‧ sure S2 W2 /ˈpleʒə $ -ər/ BrE AmE noun
[ Word Family: adjective : ↑ pleasant ≠ ↑ unpleasant , ↑ pleased ≠ ↑ displeased , ↑ pleasing ≠ ↑ displeasing , ↑ pleasurable ; adverb : ↑ pleasantly ≠ ↑ unpleasantly , ↑ pleasingly , ↑ pleasurably ; noun : ↑ pleasantry , ↑ pleasure ≠ ↑ displeasure ; verb : ↑ please ≠ ↑ displease ]
[ Date: 1300-1400 ; Language: Old French ; Origin: plaisir ; ⇨ ↑ please 2 ]
1 . [uncountable] the feeling of happiness, enjoyment, or satisfaction that you get from an experience ⇨ pleasant
with pleasure
She sipped her drink with obvious pleasure.
for pleasure
Are you taking the trip for business or pleasure?
2 . [countable] an activity or experience that you enjoy very much ⇨ pleasant :
the simple pleasures of life
be a pleasure to read/work with/watch etc
Carol was a pleasure to work with.
3 . (it’s) my pleasure spoken used when someone has thanked you for doing something and you want to say that you were glad to do it
4 . [singular] spoken formal used to be polite when you are meeting someone, asking for something, agreeing to do something etc
have the pleasure of (doing) something
May I have the pleasure of seeing you again?
It’s been a pleasure to meet you.
It’ll be a pleasure/With pleasure (=used to respond to a request)
‘Give the kids a hug for me.’ ‘With pleasure.’
5 . at your pleasure formal if you can do something at your pleasure, you can do it when you want to and in the way you want to
6 . at His/Her Majesty’s pleasure British English law if someone is put in prison at His or Her Majesty’s pleasure, there is no fixed limit to the time they have to spend there
• • •
COLLOCATIONS
■ verbs
▪ take pleasure in (doing) something
He takes great pleasure in boasting about his big salary.
▪ get pleasure from/out of something
Young children get a lot of pleasure from dressing up.
▪ find pleasure in (doing) something
I find great pleasure in reading.
▪ give (somebody) pleasure
Over the years, painting has given me a lot of pleasure.
▪ bring pleasure to somebody (=give someone pleasure)
His singing has brought pleasure to millions.
▪ derive pleasure from something formal (=get pleasure from it)
I derive great pleasure from playing chess.
■ adjectives
▪ great/enormous/immense pleasure
Steinbeck’s books have brought enormous pleasure to many people.
▪ sheer/pure pleasure
He studied ancient languages for the sheer pleasure of learning.
▪ genuine/real pleasure
She smiled with genuine pleasure.
▪ perverse pleasure (=unreasonable, surprising, or bad)
Some people derive perverse pleasure from the suffering of others.
■ phrases
▪ a source of pleasure
Her garden was a constant source of pleasure.
• • •
THESAURUS
▪ pleasure the feeling you have when you are doing something you enjoy or when something very nice has happened to you:
Most craftsmen get a lot of pleasure out of making things.
|
His music has brought pleasure to people all over the world.
▪ happiness the feeling you have when you are happy:
Happiness is more important than money.
|
Pauline was willing to do anything for her children’s happiness.
|
I doubt she’ll find happiness with Gary.
▪ joy especially written a deep feeling of great happiness, because something good has happened:
It’s hard to describe the joy we felt, seeing each other again after so many years.
|
They danced with joy when they heard the news.
▪ delight great happiness and excitement, because something good that has happened:
To the audience’s delight, she agreed to play another song.
|
Imagine my delight when I found out that the house was for sale.
▪ contentment a quietly happy and satisfied feeling, especially because you are happy with your work, your life etc:
He moved to the country and found contentment for the first time in his life.
|
She settled back in her chair and sighed with contentment.
▪ euphoria /juːˈfɔːria $ jʊ-/ an extremely strong feeling of happiness and excitement that continues for a short time:
The whole country experienced a period of euphoria after the war ended.
|
the euphoria that parents feel after the birth of a child
▪ elation /ɪˈleɪʃən/ formal a strong feeling of happiness and excitement, especially because you have achieved something:
After she had made her first landing, she experienced a great sense of elation.
|
The troops’ sense of elation at the victory was not to last.