pleasurable
Americanadjective
adjective
Other Word 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.
Pleasurable signals are blunted, but unpleasable signals are enhanced.
From Scientific American • Aug. 11, 2015
Pleasurable because the experience makes us feel smarter.
From Forbes • Oct. 15, 2014
Pleasurable duties are done, not because they are duties, but because they are pleasurable.
From Eve to the Rescue by Summers, Dudley Gloyne
Pleasurable exhilaration in society is obtained from those who impart, like warmth, their own spontaneous vivacity.
From His Sombre Rivals by Roe, Edward Payson
Pleasurable emotions are desired, where desire is set on emotions at all; and painful emotions are regarded by the mind as unwelcome guests.
From A Handbook of Ethical Theory by Fullerton, George Stuart
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.
