Please Meaning
/pliːz/Definition, CEFR level A1, pronunciation, examples, and quiz.
Listen pronunciation
Definition
verbTo make happy or satisfy; to give pleasure to.
verbTo desire; to will; to be pleased by.
Sentence Examples
If you see a mistake, then please correct it.
Where are the eggs, please?
Please confirm your acceptance of this offer in writing.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
None
CEFR Practice Quiz
He always tried to ____ his boss by finishing the project early.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She did everything she could to ____ her demanding boss, but nothing ever seemed good enough.
Word Origin & History
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.
Literary Quotations & Historical Citations
"And so it had always pleased M. Stutz to expect great things from the dark young man whom he had first seen in his early twenties ; and his expectations had waxed rather than waned on hearing the faint bruit of the love of Ivor and Virginia—for Virginia, M. Stutz thought, would bring fineness to a point in a man like Ivor Marlay, […]."
— 1922, Michael Arlen, “Ep./1/1”, in “Piracy”: A Romantic Chronicle of These Days:
"World tour, media whore / "Please the Press in Belgium!" / This was your life"
— 1987, “Paint a Vulgar Picture”, in Morrissey (lyrics), Johnny Marr (music), Strangeways, Here We Come, performed by The Smiths:
"How can an operator be, at the same time, top for overall satisfaction and bottom for value for money? I turned to Anthony Smith for the answer, leaning on his 20 years running Transport Focus and its predecessors.
It's commuters, he explained. "You can't please commuters, you can only not displease them.""
— 2024 October 2, Philip Haigh, “Different types of passengers require different types of fare”, in RAIL, number 1019, page 54:
"Whatsoeuer the Lord pleased, that did he in heauen and in earth: in the Seas, and all deepe places."
— 1611, The Holy Bible, […] (King James Version), London: […] Robert Barker, […], →OCLC, Psalms 135:6:
"“Will any gentleman please to get outside and make room for a lady?”"
— 1870 July 16, “Our Idler’s Gossip”, in Bell’s Life in Sydney and Sporting Chronicle, volume XXVII, number 708, new series, [Sydney, N.S.W.], page [3], column 2:
Explore More A1 Vocabulary Words
CEFR Practice Quiz
He always tried to ____ his boss by finishing the project early.
CEFR Practice Quiz (Alternate)
She did everything she could to ____ her demanding boss, but nothing ever seemed good enough.