Link Centre Dictionary

please

UK/pliːz/ US/pliz/ very common
verb (3) adverb (1)

verb

1.

give pleasure to or be pleasing to

  • “These colors please the senses”
  • “a pleasing sensation”
Synonyms
Antonyms
2.

be the will of or have the will (to)

  • “he could do many things if he pleased”
3.

give satisfaction

  • “The waiters around her aim to please”

adverb

1.

used in polite request

  • “please pay attention”

Origin

From Middle English plesen, plaisen, borrowed from Old French plaise, conjugated form of plaisir or plaire, from Latin placeō (“to please, to seem good”), from the Proto-Indo-European *pleHk- (“pleasingness, permission”). In this sense, displaced native Old English līcian, whence Modern English like.

Phrases

  • as you please
  • if it you please
  • please yourself
  • you cannot please everyone

Related words

Word family

Broader terms

Narrower terms

Causes

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.