displease

American

[dis-pleez] / dɪsˈpliz /

verb (used with object)

displeased, displeasing

to incur the dissatisfaction, dislike, or disapproval of; offend; annoy.

His reply displeased the judge.

verb (used without object)

displeased, displeasing

to be unpleasant; cause displeasure.

Bad weather displeases.

displease British

/ dɪsˈpliːz /

verb

to annoy, offend, or cause displeasure to (someone)

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Other Word Forms

displeasing adjective
displeasingly adverb
displeasingness noun
self-displeased adjective

Etymology

Origin of displease

1300–50; Middle English desplesen < Anglo-French, Middle French desplaisir. See dis- ¹, please

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.

District Court for the District of Columbia agreed; he quashed the subpoenas and said the government had offered no evidence that Powell committed any crime “other than displeasing the president.”

From Barron's

I couldn’t tell what displeased her more: the loud, jazzy tune, or the dropped notes from the broken or out-of-tune keys.

From Literature

He wrote about her in his postcards home, displeasing his moralistic parents.

From The Wall Street Journal

In this case—and however much it may displease conspiracy theorists—there is no mystery.

From The Wall Street Journal

Long-term Xbox fans were also displeased when it announced it would begin to publish formerly exclusive titles on other consoles.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023