6 PHRASE You use please in expressions such as as she pleases , whatever you please , and anything he pleases to indicate that someone can do or have whatever they want. □ Women should be free to dress and act as they please. □ Isabel can live where she pleases.
7 CONVENTION If you please is sometimes used as a very polite and formal way of attracting someone's attention or of asking them to do something. [POLITENESS ] □ Ladies and gentlemen, if you please. Miss Taylor's going to play for us.
8 CONVENTION You say ' please yourself ' to indicate in a rather rude way that you do not mind or care whether the person you are talking to does a particular thing or not. [INFORMAL , FEELINGS ] □ 'Do you mind if I wait?' I asked. Melanie shrugged: 'Please yourself.'
pleased ◆◇◇ /pliː zd/
1 ADJ [usu v-link ADJ ] If you are pleased , you are happy about something or satisfied with something. □ [+ at ] Felicity seemed pleased at the suggestion. □ I think he's going to be pleased that we identified the real problems. □ They're pleased to be going home. □ He glanced at her with a pleased smile.
2 ADJ If you say you will be pleased to do something, you are saying in a polite way that you are willing to do it. [POLITENESS ] □ We will be pleased to answer any questions you may have.
3 ADJ [v-link ADJ ] You can tell someone that you are pleased with something they have done in order to express your approval. [FEELINGS ] □ [+ with ] I'm pleased with the way things have been going. □ [+ about ] I am very pleased about the result. □ We are pleased that the problems have been resolved. □ We were very pleased to hear this encouraging news.
4 ADJ When you are about to give someone some news which you know will please them, you can say that you are pleased to tell them the news or that they will be pleased to hear it. □ I'm pleased to say that he is now doing well.
5 ADJ In official letters, people often say they will be pleased to do something, as a polite way of introducing what they are going to do or inviting people to do something. [POLITENESS ] □ We will be pleased to delete the charge from the original invoice.
6 PHRASE If someone seems very satisfied with something they have done, you can say that they are pleased with themselves , especially if you think they are more satisfied than they should be. □ He was pleased with himself for having remembered her name.
7 CONVENTION You can say ' Pleased to meet you ' as a polite way of greeting someone who you are meeting for the first time. [FORMULAE ] SYNONYMS pleased ADJ 1
delighted: He said that he was delighted with the public response.
happy: I'm just happy to be back running.
contented: Whenever he returns to this place he is happy and contented.
thrilled (to bits): He's thrilled to bits at the news.
pleas|ing /pliː z I ŋ/ ADJ [ADJ to-inf] Something that is pleasing gives you pleasure and satisfaction. □ This area of France has a pleasing climate in August. □ It's pleasing to listen to. [Also + to ] ● pleas|ing|ly ADV [usu ADV adj] □ The interior design is pleasingly simple.
pleas|ur|able /ple ʒərəb ə l/ ADJ Pleasurable experiences or sensations are pleasant and enjoyable. □ The most pleasurable experience of the evening was the wonderful fireworks display. ● pleas|ur|ably /ple ʒərəbli/ ADV [ADV with v, ADV adj] □ They spent six weeks pleasurably together.
pleas|ure ◆◇◇ /ple ʒə r / (pleasures )
1 N‑UNCOUNT If something gives you pleasure , you get a feeling of happiness, satisfaction, or enjoyment from it. □ Watching sport gave him great pleasure. □ [+ in ] Everybody takes pleasure in eating. [Also + from ]
2 N‑UNCOUNT Pleasure is the activity of enjoying yourself, especially rather than working or doing what you have a duty to do. □ He mixed business and pleasure in a perfect and dynamic way. □ I read for pleasure.
3 N‑COUNT A pleasure is an activity, experience or aspect of something that you find very enjoyable or satisfying. □ Watching TV is our only pleasure. □ [+ of ] …the pleasure of seeing a smiling face.
4 CONVENTION If you meet someone for the first time, you can say, as a way of being polite, that it is a pleasure to meet them. You can also ask for the pleasure of someone's company as a polite and formal way of inviting them somewhere. [POLITENESS ] □ 'A pleasure to meet you, sir,' he said.
5 CONVENTION You can say ' It's a pleasure ' or ' My pleasure ' as a polite way of replying to someone who has just thanked you for doing something. [FORMULAE ] □ 'Thanks very much anyhow.'—'It's a pleasure.' SYNONYMS pleasure NOUN 1
enjoyment: …her enjoyment of the beauty of the countryside.
satisfaction: She felt a small glow of satisfaction.
bliss: It was a scene of such domestic bliss.
delight: The views are a constant source of surprise and delight.
happiness: I think mostly she was looking for happiness.
plea s|ure boat (pleasure boats ) N‑COUNT A pleasure boat is a large boat which takes people for trips on rivers, lakes, or on the sea for pleasure.