different between pleasure vs gayety

English

Etymology

From Early Modern English pleasur, plesur, alteration (with ending accommodated to -ure) of Middle English plaisir (“pleasure”), from Old French plesir, plaisir (“to please”), infinitive used as a noun, conjugated form of plaisir or plaire, from Latin place? (“to please, to seem good”), from the Proto-Indo-European *pleh?-k- (“wide and flat”). Related to Dutch plezier (“pleasure, fun”). More at please.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?pl???/
• (General American) enPR: pl?zh??r, IPA^(key): /?pl???/
• Rhymes: -???(?)
• Hyphenation: pleas?ure

Noun

pleasure (countable and uncountable, plural pleasures)

1. (uncountable) A state of being pleased or contented; gratification.

   Synonyms: delight, gladness, gratification, happiness, indulgence, satisfaction

   Antonyms: displeasure, pain
2. (countable) A person, thing or action that causes enjoyment.

   Synonyms: delight, joy

   • Festus, willing to do the Jews a pleasure
3. (uncountable) One's preference.

   Synonyms: desire, fancy, want, will, wish

4. (formal, uncountable) The will or desire of someone or some agency in power.

   Synonym: discretion

   • He will do his pleasure on Babylon.

Derived terms

Translations

Interjection

pleasure

1. pleased to meet you, "It's my pleasure"

Verb

pleasure (third-person singular simple present pleasures, present participle pleasuring, simple past and past participle pleasured)

1. (transitive) To give or afford pleasure to.

   Synonyms: please, gratify
2. (transitive) To give sexual pleasure to.

3. (intransitive, dated) To take pleasure; to seek or pursue pleasure.

Translations

Related terms

• displeasure
• please
• pleasant

Further reading

• pleasure in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• pleasure in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.

Anagrams

• serpulae

English

Noun

gayety (usually uncountable, plural gayeties)

1. Alternative spelling of gaiety
   • 1859, Ferna Vale, Natalie; or, A Gem Among the Sea-Weeds

     Amid all the splendor and gayety of fashionable life in Italy, the Sea-flower was never so happy as when seated in the ivy bower, which looked out upon a little lake, the same which had been her mother's favorite place of retreat [...]