displease

English

Etymology

(deprecated template usage) [etyl] Middle English displesen, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Anglo-Norman despleisir, desplere, from (deprecated template usage) [etyl] Old French desplere, from des- + plere.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /dɪsˈpliːz/
• Rhymes: -iːz

• Audio (UK):

  (file)

Verb

1. (transitive) To make not pleased; to cause a feeling of disapprobation or dislike in; to be disagreeable to; to vex slightly.

   The boy's rudeness displeased me.

   I felt displeased with the boy.

   • (Can we date this quote by Bible and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?), Psalms lxxxv. 5 (Book of Common Prayer)

     Wilt thou be displeased at us forever?

2. (intransitive) To give displeasure or offense.
3. (transitive, obsolete) To fail to satisfy; to miss of.
   • (Can we date this quote by Beaumont and Fletcher and provide title, author’s full name, and other details?)

     I shall displease my ends else.

Synonyms

• misplease

Antonyms

• please

Related terms

• displeasure

Translations

to fail to please or satisfy

• Esperanto: malplaĉi
• German: missfallen (de)
• Greek:

  Ancient: ἀπαρέσκω (aparéskō)

• (deprecated template usage) {{trans-mid}}
• Latin: displiceō
• Maori: whakaahu

See also

• affront
• anger
• annoy
• chafe
• disgust
• dissatisfy
• offend
• provoke
• vex

Further reading

• “displease”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “displease”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “displease”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.