pleasurable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of pleasurable
Explanation
Something pleasurable is fun or satisfying in some way. You probably find petting your cat pleasurable, but your cat may feel that scratching the sofa is much more pleasurable for him. Things that give you pleasure — because they're entertaining, funny, pleasant, or delicious — are pleasurable. Pleasure — just like beauty — tends to be in the eye of the beholder. Your idea of a pleasurable summer day might be lounging in a hammock with a good book and a glass of iced tea. And, while your sister thinks spending Saturday at the mall is pleasurable, that might sound like the least pleasurable activity in the world to you. The Latin root, placere, means "to 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.
In a recent Instagram post, Anastasia doubles down on what pleasurable eating actually looks like.
From Salon • May 17, 2026
Even the things we do in pleasurable solitude can help us connect to one another.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 9, 2026
Groceries cost more, time feels thinner and the idea that eating well — both pleasurable and nourishing — should be attainable on a modest budget can feel almost quaint.
From Salon • Dec. 28, 2025
Endorphins are the brain's "happy chemicals" and are released both to reduce stress and pain and in response to pleasurable experiences, such as laughing with friends over a truly terrible Christmas cracker joke.
From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025
For newborns and very young children, speaking a rhyme and wiggling toes connects sound to a pleasurable and intimate act, as well as introducing the idea of rhythm and phrasing to newborns and young children.
From "Music and the Child" by Natalie Sarrazin
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.
