Definitions for pleasure
ˈplɛʒ ərplea·sure

Princeton's WordNet(3.00 / 1 vote)Rate this definition:

1. pleasure, pleasance(noun)

   a fundamental feeling that is hard to define but that people desire to experience

   "he was tingling with pleasure"

2. joy, delight, pleasure(noun)

   something or someone that provides a source of happiness

   "a joy to behold"; "the pleasure of his company"; "the new car is a delight"

3. pleasure(noun)

   a formal expression

   "he serves at the pleasure of the President"

4. pleasure(noun)

   an activity that affords enjoyment

   "he puts duty before pleasure"

5. pleasure(noun)

   sexual gratification

   "he took his pleasure of her"

Wiktionary(4.40 / 5 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pleasure(Noun)

   a state of being pleased

2. pleasure(Noun)

   a person, thing or action that causes enjoyment

3. pleasure(Noun)

   one's preference

   What is your pleasure, coffee or tea?

4. pleasure(Noun)

   the will or desire of someone or some agency in power

5. pleasure(Verb)

   to give pleasure (especially sexual pleasure) to

   Johnny pleasured Jackie orally last night.

Webster Dictionary(1.50 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Pleasure(noun)

   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

2. Pleasure(noun)

   amusement; sport; diversion; self-indulgence; frivolous or dissipating enjoyment; hence, sensual gratification; -- opposed to labor, service, duty, self-denial, etc

3. Pleasure(noun)

   what the will dictates or prefers as gratifying or satisfying; hence, will; choice; wish; purpose

4. Pleasure(noun)

   that which pleases; a favor; a gratification

5. Pleasure(verb)

   to give or afford pleasure to; to please; to gratify

6. Pleasure(verb)

   to take pleasure; to seek pursue pleasure; as, to go pleasuring

Freebase(5.00 / 2 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Pleasure

   Pleasure describes the broad class of mental states that humans and other animals experience as positive, enjoyable, or worth seeking. It includes more specific mental states such as happiness, entertainment, enjoyment, ecstasy, and euphoria. In psychology, the pleasure principle describes pleasure as a positive feedback mechanism, motivating the organism to recreate in the future the situation which it has just found pleasurable. According to this theory, organisms are similarly motivated to avoid situations that have caused pain in the past. The experience of pleasure is subjective and different individuals will experience different kinds and amounts of pleasure in the same situation. Many pleasurable experiences are associated with satisfying basic biological drives, such as eating, exercise, sex or defecation. Other pleasurable experiences are associated with social experiences and social drives, such as the experiences of accomplishment, recognition, and service. The appreciation of cultural artifacts and activities such as art, music, and literature is often pleasurable. In recent years, significant progress has been made in understanding the brain mechanisms underlying pleasure. One of the key discoveries was made by Kent C. Berridge who has shown that pleasure is not a unitary experience. Rather, pleasure consists of multiple brain processes including liking, wanting and learning subserved by distinct yet partially overlapping brain networks. In particular, this research has been helped by the use of objective pleasure-elicited reactions in humans and other animals such as the behavioral ‘liking’/‘disliking’ facial expressions to tastes that are homologous between humans and many other mammals.

U.S. National Library of Medicine(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. Pleasure

   Sensation of enjoyment or gratification.

Suggested Resources(0.00 / 0 votes)Rate this definition:

1. pleasure

   Song lyrics by pleasure -- Explore a large variety of song lyrics performed by pleasure on the Lyrics.com website.

British National Corpus

1. Spoken Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'pleasure' in Spoken Corpus Frequency: #1990

2. Written Corpus Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'pleasure' in Written Corpus Frequency: #2646

3. Nouns Frequency

   Rank popularity for the word 'pleasure' in Nouns Frequency: #793

How to pronounce pleasure?

1. 

   Alex

   US English

   

   Daniel

   British

   

   Karen

   Australian

   

   Veena

   Indian

How to say pleasure in sign language?

Numerology

1. Chaldean Numerology

   The numerical value of pleasure in Chaldean Numerology is: 6

2. Pythagorean Numerology

   The numerical value of pleasure in Pythagorean Numerology is: 7

Examples of pleasure in a Sentence

1. Simone de Beauvoir:

   Buying is a profound pleasure.

2. Manilius:

   Even pleasure itself is a toil.

3. Aphra Behn:

   Variety is the soul of pleasure.

4. Antares Adjibi:

   I am in the business of pleasure.

5. Francois de La Rochefoucauld:

   The pleasure of love is in loving.

Images & Illustrations of pleasure

Popularity rank by frequency of use