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.

District Court for the District of Columbia agreed; he quashed the subpoenas and said the government had offered no evidence that Powell committed any crime “other than displeasing the president.”

From Barron's • Mar. 18, 2026

He wrote about her in his postcards home, displeasing his moralistic parents.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

"My wife sends her regards, thank you for the pudding rice. She sends your fiancé this sweater and hopes that it is not displeasing to her," it reads.

From BBC • Mar. 1, 2024

Having a well-stocked refrigerator filled with rotting foods is incredibly wasteful and displeasing, to say the least.

From Salon • Feb. 23, 2024

“Yes, I denied knowing him. I was afraid”— again I choose my words carefully—“of displeasing El Jefe.”

From "In the Time of the Butterflies" by Julia Alvarez