pleasant

adjective

pleas·​ant ˈple-zᵊnt How to pronounce pleasant (audio)
1
: having qualities that tend to give pleasure : agreeable
a pleasant day
2
: having or characterized by pleasing manners, behavior, or appearance
pleasantly adverb
pleasantness noun

Examples of pleasant in a Sentence

the pleasant smell of cookies baking in the oven We had a pleasant conversation. Our evening together was pleasant but not very exciting. I didn't know you were coming. What a pleasant surprise! Their new teacher seems pleasant enough. a very pleasant young man
Recent Examples on the Web Honda’s pleasant Ridgeline remains an outlier among midsize pickups, despite years of service and satisfied customers. Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press, 19 Mar. 2024 The review also says the patio area is especially pleasant with lush gardens and heat lamps. Jenna Anderson, Sunset Magazine, 13 Mar. 2024 Temperatures Wednesday are expected to be pleasant, reaching the low to mid-70s, according to the NWS. John Tufts, The Indianapolis Star, 13 Mar. 2024 Pittman said one of the winter's most pleasant surprises has been Tyrone Broden, (15-109, 3) who transferred in from Bowling Green before last season. Tom Murphy, arkansasonline.com, 7 Mar. 2024 Plus, its soft texture, bold colors, and distinct scent make for a pleasant sensory experience, according to Kim. Laura Lu, Ms, Parents, 6 Mar. 2024 Unfortunately, trying so hard to look pleasant kept me from being able to concentrate on anything else. Harriette Cole, The Mercury News, 6 Mar. 2024 As far as Northern California beaches go, Lindy isn’t particularly pleasant or pretty; the sand is gross, the water’s cold and slate gray on account of the persistent fog that hangs around the area. Jay Caspian Kang, The New Yorker, 8 Mar. 2024 This body oil’s light scent is very pleasant, almost a little powdery. Phoebe Sklansky, Parents, 7 Mar. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pleasant.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English plesaunt, from Anglo-French plaisant, from present participle of plaisir

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of pleasant was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near pleasant

Cite this Entry

“Pleasant.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pleasant. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

pleasant

adjective
pleas·​ant ˈplez-ᵊnt How to pronounce pleasant (audio)
1
: giving pleasure : agreeable
a pleasant day
2
: having or marked by pleasing manners, behavior, or appearance
the new teacher is very pleasant
pleasantly adverb
pleasantness noun

More from Merriam-Webster on pleasant

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