please
Americanadverb
verb (used with object)
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pleases,
present (3rd person singular)
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pleased,
past participle, past
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pleasing
present participle
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to act to the pleasure or satisfaction of.
to please the public.
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to be the pleasure or will of.
May it please your Majesty.
verb (used without object)
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pleases,
present (3rd person singular)
-
pleased,
past participle, past
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pleasing
present participle
idioms
verb
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to give satisfaction, pleasure, or contentment to (a person); make or cause (a person) to be glad
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to be the will of or have the will (to)
if it pleases you
the court pleases
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if you will or wish, sometimes used in ironic exclamation
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happy because of
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to do as one likes
adverb
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(sentence modifier) used in making polite requests and in pleading, asking for a favour, etc
please don't tell the police where I am
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a polite formula for accepting an offer, invitation, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
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pleasednessnoun
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pleasernoun
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overpleaseverb
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outpleaseverb (used with object)
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half-pleasedadjective
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pleasableadjective
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pleasedadjective
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self-pleasedadjective
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unpleasableadjective
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unpleasedadjective
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well-pleasedadjective
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pleasedlyadverb
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
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pleasesimple
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pleasessimple
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have pleasedperfect
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has pleasedperfect
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am pleasingprogressive
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are pleasingprogressive
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is pleasingprogressive
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have been pleasingperfect progressive
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has been pleasingperfect progressive
Past
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pleasedsimple
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had pleasedperfect
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was pleasingprogressive
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were pleasingprogressive
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had been pleasingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of please
First recorded in 1275–1325; (verb) Middle English plesen, plaisen, from Middle French plaisir, ultimately from Latin placēre “to please, seem good” ( see placid); the use of please with requests, etc., is presumably a reduction of the clause (it) please you “may it please you,” later reinforced by imperative use of intransitive please to be pleased, wish
Explanation
To please someone is to give them pleasure or to make them happy. This is also a word for polite requests like, "Could you please pass the milk?" Have you ever been asked "What's the magic word"? It's please, a small word that makes any request more polite. Saying please is sure to please just about everyone, although different things please different people. Turning in your homework on time will please your teachers, while a good belly rub and some extra treats will please your dog.
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:
But please don’t perform a frat-house party trick in front of co-workers.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 3, 2026
He had branded the planned reforms a "stupid idea" and urged Lammy to "please God, stop what you're doing".
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
OK, before we get into the politics, could I have just the facts, please?
From Slate ● Jul. 31, 2026
Bearish sentiment in the semiconductor sector is such that investors currently are a tough audience to please.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 30, 2026
He looked at Mrs. Krupnik and said, "Could I have another helping of chowder, please, Wife?"
From "All About Sam" by Lois Lowry
This isn’t just teenage dramatics: Elephant seals don’t hunt or eat as they molt, so he’s hungry and tired and will sleep wherever he damn pleases.
From Salon ● Jul. 7, 2026
But Mr. Trump may find he’s now liberated Mr. Cassidy, who can vote as he pleases this year without fear of further retribution.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 17, 2026
Hate is a virus that spreads how it pleases.
From Los Angeles Times ● Feb. 6, 2026
"The industry won't be successful if the illicit market does as it pleases."
From BBC ● Jan. 26, 2026
"Joff has had no lack of good counsel. He's always been strong-willed. Now that he's king, he believes he should do as he pleases, not as he's bid."
From "A Clash of Kings" by George R.R. Martin
He is pleased to allow the intuitive Nora to accompany him on various investigations.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 5, 2026
"I was really pleased to see that Uefa had taken the position that they have, and they were very clear with their directive and firm about how they want this to go," added Asante.
From BBC ● Jul. 31, 2026
“We are pleased that the Bankruptcy Court recognized GLAZA’s bankruptcy filing as yet another bad-faith attempt to derail the ongoing litigation for its own benefit,” City Atty.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 31, 2026
Chief Executive Kelly Ortberg said he was pleased with the company's progress.
From Barron's ● Jul. 28, 2026
Jimbo had seen Rowdy take off for home, and it pleased him.
From "Summer of the Monkeys" by Wilson Rawls
Professional engineers have said Nakagawa's products can be aesthetically pleasing and thought-provoking, but that his system is not practical.
From Barron's ● Aug. 5, 2026
An adviser’s recommendations may not always be pleasing to hear, but they flow from a more complete understanding of a client’s situation based on detailed fact-finding, probing and insight into the client’s needs.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 24, 2026
Lawyers for the club argue that the 526-yard, par 5 is its signature hole, the hardest and most aesthetically pleasing on the course.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 8, 2026
Jeff Greenblatt, a former researcher for Socolow who contributed to the “Wedges” paper, said the researchers had engaged in “a delicate dance” between maintaining their intellectual integrity and pleasing BP.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
They reminded Ifemelu of television commercials, of people whose lives were lived always in flattering light, whose messes were still aesthetically pleasing.
From "Americanah" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
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.
