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displease

[dis-pleez]
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verb (used with object), dis·pleased, dis·pleas·ing.
  1. to incur the dissatisfaction, dislike, or disapproval of; offend; annoy: His reply displeased the judge.
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verb (used without object), dis·pleased, dis·pleas·ing.
  1. to be unpleasant; cause displeasure: Bad weather displeases.
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Origin of displease

1300–50; Middle English desplesen < Anglo-French, Middle French desplaisir. See dis-1, please
Related formsdis·pleas·ing·ly, adverbdis·pleas·ing·ness, nounself-dis·pleased, adjective
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Related Words for displeasing

annoying, bad, disagreeable, distasteful, nasty, objectionable, offensive, unattractive

Examples from the Web for displeasing

Historical Examples of displeasing

  • In order to avoid despising or displeasing our parents, what should we not do?

    An Explanation of Luther's Small Catechism

    Joseph Stump

  • His mother's conversation, too, had been displeasing to him.

    The Foolish Lovers

    St. John G. Ervine

  • I shall tell you what will be displeasing and wearisome,5 yet true.

  • Then he sniffed as if the air contained an odor that was displeasing to him.

  • He does what he knows would be displeasing to his parents, and he sets a bad example.

    The Teacher

    Jacob Abbott

British Dictionary definitions for displeasing

displease

verb
  1. to annoy, offend, or cause displeasure to (someone)
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Derived Formsdispleasing, adjectivedispleasingly, adverb
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

Word Origin and History for displeasing

displease

v.

early 14c., from Old French desplais-, present tense stem of desplaisir "to displease" (13c.), from Latin displicere "displease," from dis- "not" (see dis-) + placere "to please" (see please). Related: Displeased; displeasing.

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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper