pleasing
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What are other ways to say pleasing? Something that is pleasing gives pleasure or is agreeable. But calling something pleasing isn’t quite the same as calling it gratifying or interesting. Find out why on Thesaurus.com.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of pleasing
First recorded in 1350–1400, pleasing is from the Middle English word plesing. See please, -ing 2
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.
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
Bran Black, chief executive of the Business Council of Australia says it was pleasing that the government is prioritizing the development of AI policy, while establishing an AI Office in Canberra.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 15, 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
"The job was really not pleasing me anymore," he said.
From BBC ● Jun. 13, 2026
It is the musical equivalent of dropping a random blob of ink on a piece of paper: by folding the paper and creating a symmetrical double, a pleasing shape is suddenly formed.
From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall
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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.