pleasant
Language: English
Part of speech: adj
Pronunciation: ipa: /ˈplɛzn̩t/
rhymes: -ɛzənt
Forms: form: more pleasant
form: pleasanter
form: most pleasant
form: pleasantest
Etymology: From Middle English plesaunte, from Old French plaisant. Present participle of English please. Related to Dutch plezant (“full of fun or pleasure”). Partly displaced Old English wynsum, which became Modern English winsome.
Senses: examples: text: We had a pleasant walk around the town.
text: It wasn't so hot outside, but pleasant enough to have lunch in the garden.
text: Behold, how good and pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!
ref: 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalm 133:1:
text: “I cannot see that London has any great advantage over the country, for my part, except the shops and public places. The country is a vast deal pleasanter, is not it, Mr. Bingley?”
ref: 1813 January 27, [Jane Austen], chapter IX, in Pride and Prejudice: […], volume I, London: […] [George Sidney] for T[homas] Egerton, […], →OCLC, page 94:
text: “I was only going to say,” said Scrooge’s nephew, “that the consequence of his taking a dislike to us, and not making merry with us, is, as I think, that he loses some pleasant moments, which could do him no harm. I am sure he loses pleasanter companions than he can find in his own thoughts, either in his mouldy old office, or his dusty chambers.
ref: 1843 December 19, Charles Dickens, “Stave Three. The Second of the Three Spirits.”, in A Christmas Carol. In Prose. Being a Ghost Story of Christmas, London: Chapman & Hall, […], →OCLC, page 109:
text: “O Oysters, come and walk with us!” / The Walrus did beseech. / “A pleasant walk, a pleasant talk, / Along the briny beach:
ref: 1871 December 27 (indicated as 1872), Lewis Carroll [pseudonym; Charles Lutwidge Dodgson], Through the Looking-Glass, and What Alice Found There, London: Macmillan and Co., →OCLC:
text: It was a joy to snatch some brief respite, and find himself in the rectory drawing–room. Listening here was as pleasant as talking; just to watch was pleasant.
ref: 1918, W[illiam] B[abington] Maxwell, chapter X, in The Mirror and the Lamp, Indianapolis, Ind.: The Bobbs-Merrill Company, →OCLC:
text: “[…] If you pray to St. Anne before twelve o’clock on a Wednesday, you’ll get a pleasant surprise before the end of the week.”
ref: 1989, Hilary Mantel, chapter 2, in Fludd, New York: Henry Holt, published 2000, page 25:
glosses: Giving pleasure; pleasing in manner.
examples: text: [T]ell the pleasant prince this mock of his / Hath turn’d his balls to gun-stones […]
ref: 1599 (date written), William Shakespeare, “The Life of Henry the Fift”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act I, scene ii]:
text: […] I present you here with a merrie conceited Comedie, called the Shoomakers Holyday, acted by my Lorde Admiralls Players this present Christmasse, before the Queenes most excellent Maiestie. For the mirth and pleasant matter, by her Highnesse graciously accepted; being indeede no way offensiue.
ref: 1600, Thomas Dekker, The Shoemaker’s Holiday, London: Dedication:
glosses: Facetious, joking.
Synonyms: word: agreeable
word: appropriate
word: nice
word: pleasurable
word: felicitous
word: gorgeous
word: acceptable
word: amiable
word: charming
word: comely
word: pleasant
word: pleasing
word: welcome
Hyponyms: word: attractive
word: delicious
word: euphonious
word: fragrant
Derived terms: Lake Pleasant
Mount Pleasant
Pleasant Grove
pleasantish
pleasantly
pleasantness
Pleasant Prairie
pleasantry
Pleasant Valley
Point Pleasant
Related terms: word: pleasure