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.
We already know, from the rise of charcuterie boards, snack plates and the much-debated “girl dinner,” that mix-and-match formats are inherently pleasurable.
From Salon • Feb. 12, 2026
The particular choice of pattern or cartoon character for that first plate is a decision that feels weighty but pleasurable.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 1, 2026
Endorphins are the brain's "happy chemicals" and are released both to reduce stress and pain and in response to pleasurable experiences, such as laughing with friends over a truly terrible Christmas cracker joke.
From BBC • Dec. 22, 2025
To play somebody like that, and to allow myself to be blind to the feeling of consequence and to just shoot like a rocket, that was incredibly freeing and pleasurable.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2025
Why not think of it instead as a form of pleasurable mastery, like cooking or photography?
From "The Sense of Style" by Steven Pinker
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.
