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Synonyms

displease

American  
[dis-pleez] / dɪsˈpliz /

verb (used with object)

displeased, displeasing

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

    His reply displeased the judge.

verb (used without object)

displeased, displeasing

  1. to be unpleasant; cause displeasure.

    Bad weather displeases.
displease British  
/ dɪsˈpliːz /

verb

  1. 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

Etymology

Origin of displease

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

Explanation

When you displease someone, you disappoint them or make them unhappy. Your dog's loud barking at 5 AM is sure to displease your neighbors. The prefix dis- is often used to signify the opposite of something, and displease is no exception: it means to do the opposite of pleasing someone. Your terrible grades will displease your parents and your teachers, not to mention you, and being served your least favorite foods at your birthday dinner will also displease you. Please has a Latin root, placere, "be acceptable, be liked, or be approved."

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Example Sentences

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Displease, dis-plēz′, v.t. to offend: to make angry in a slight degree: to be disagreeable to.—v.i. to raise aversion.—n.

From Chambers's Twentieth Century Dictionary (part 1 of 4: A-D) by Various

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.