pleasing
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What are other ways to say pleasing? Something that is pleasing gives pleasure or is agreeable. But calling something pleasing isn’t quite the same as calling it gratifying or interesting. Find out why on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
- half-pleasing adjective
- pleasingly adverb
- pleasingness noun
- self-pleasing adjective
- unpleasing adjective
Etymology
Origin of pleasing
First recorded in 1350–1400, pleasing is from the Middle English word plesing. See please, -ing 2
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Yet while the basic gesture of translation is reverent, sometimes a foxy irreverence yields pleasing results.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 22, 2026
Many good coffee cake recipes lean on sour cream, which lends a pleasing density and richness to the batter.
From Salon • Mar. 31, 2026
Not to contradict the title of your special, but I screened “None Too Pleased,” and it’s super pleasing and so funny.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 17, 2026
If you try to please everyone, you will end up pleasing no one, least of all your good self.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 16, 2026
Jake said, “That’s pretty much my strategy for pleasing Alaska.”
From "Looking for Alaska" by John Green
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
