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Showing results for "pleasing"
  • present participle of please.
Search instead for Pleasings.
Synonyms

pleasing

American  
[plee-zing] / ˈpli zɪŋ /

adjective

  1. giving pleasure; agreeable; gratifying.

    a pleasing performance.

    Synonyms:
    engaging, delightful, charming, pleasant

pleasing British  
/ ˈpliːzɪŋ /

adjective

  1. giving pleasure; likable or gratifying

"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

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

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.

See Examples For:

It is pleasing in its simplicity, but it also comes with lots of risk, especially if reality doesn’t line up with your calculations.

From The Wall Street Journal Sep. 7, 2026

Herbert and the starting offense, though, made sure they left something pleasing on film.

From Los Angeles Times Aug. 28, 2026

When Ritchson isn’t barreling through that summertime face-punching tour, he fronts pleasing if unchallenging straight-to-streaming romps like “Playdate” and “War Machine.”

From Salon Aug. 22, 2026

Each scenario asks players to pick one action from three choices on the screen, with each potentially upsetting or pleasing the different factions.

From BBC Aug. 15, 2026

When he was done he felt a pleasing lightness in the air around him which slipped silkily over his skin and through his nostrils.

From "Atonement" by Ian McEwan

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