pleasantadj.adv.

Brit.

/ˈplɛznt/, U.S.

/ˈplɛznt/

Forms:

α. Middle English playsant, Middle English playsaunt, Middle English playsaunte, Middle English pleisant, Middle English plesannt, Middle English plesaun, Middle English plesaunte, Middle English plesawnt, Middle English pleysaunt, Middle English–1500s plesante, Middle English–1600s pleasaunt, Middle English–1600s plesant, Middle English–1600s plesaunt, Middle English–1700s (1800s Irish English) plaisant, Middle English– pleasant, 1500s plasaunt, 1500s pleasante, 1500s pleasaunte, 1500s pleasunt, 1500s plezent, 1600s pleasauntt, 1600s pleasent; Scottish pre-1700 plaisant, pre-1700 playsant, pre-1700 pleasent, pre-1700 pleassant, pre-1700 pleisant, pre-1700 pleisaunt, pre-1700 plesant, pre-1700 plesaunt, pre-1700 plesent, pre-1700 plessant, pre-1700 plisant, pre-1700 1700s– pleasant, 1800s pleesant.

β. Scottish pre-1700 pleasand, pre-1700 pleasande, pre-1700 pleisand, pre-1700 pleissand, pre-1700 plesand, pre-1700 plesande, pre-1700 plesaund, pre-1700 plessand, pre-1700 pleysand, pre-1700 pleyssande.

Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymons: French plaisant, plesent.

Etymology: < Anglo-Norman plaisant, plaisaunt, pleisant, pleisaunt, plesant and Middle French plaisant, (rare) plesent (French plaisant ) giving pleasure, delightful (second half of the 12th cent.), (of a person) having pleasing manners, amiable (mid 14th cent. or earlier), amusing (second half of the 15th cent. or earlier, used of people, actions, or words; in sense ‘ridiculous, peculiar’ apparently not paralleled in French until later (1579)), use as adjective of present participle of plaisir , pleisir , plesir , etc. (see please v.). Sense A. 1 is apparently not recorded in dictionaries of French. Compare Old Occitan plazen pleasing (a1148; Occitan plasent ), Catalan †plasent pleasing (now plaent ; both late 13th cent.), Spanish placiente pleasing (a1260 as †plaziente in this sense; earlier in sense ‘acquiescing’, ‘consenting’ (1190 as †plazient , first half of the 13th cent. as placiente , †plaçiente ; now obsolete in this sense)), Portuguese prazente pleasing, (of persons) well-disposed, amiable (15th cent.; it is unclear whether the active or the passive sense is exemplified by the earliest use), Italian piacente pleasing (a1250). With use as adverb compare earlier pleasantly adv., pleasingly adv.Apparently attested earlier as a surname (Simon Plesent (1320), Thomas Pleisaunt (1332)), although it is unclear whether these are to be interpreted as reflecting the Middle English or the Anglo-Norman word. The β. forms show Older Scots alteration of the ending after -and suffix¹.

A. adj.

†1. Affected by feelings of satisfaction or pleasure; favourable, well-disposed. Obsolete. rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > favour > [adjective] > favourably disposed

favourable1340

pleasantc1350

propense?1534

good disposed1553

well-affectioned1561

well-affected?1563

well-conceited1592

propensive1599

conceited1612

well-set1632

well-disposed1660

c1350 Psalter (BL Add. 17376) in K. D. Bülbring Earliest Compl. Eng. Prose Psalter (1891) lxxvi. 7 Þynge to witen, ȝif God shal put owai my gost wiþ-outen ende, oþer he ne sett nouȝt þat he..ȝit be more pleisant [v.r. plesyng; a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) plesid; L. complacitior].

2. That gives pleasure, delight, or satisfaction. Now chiefly in weakened sense: agreeable, nice; quite enjoyable.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > pleasure > quality of being pleasant or pleasurable > [adjective]

winsomea900

sweetc900

likingeOE

i-quemec950

lieflyOE

winlyOE

hereOE

thankfulc1000

merryOE

queemc1175

beina1200

willea1200

leesomec1200

savouryc1225

estea1250

i-wilc1275

winc1275

welcomea1300

doucea1350

well-pleasingc1350

acceptablea1382

pleasablea1382

pleasanta1382

pleaseda1382

acceptedc1384

amiablec1384

well-likinga1387

queemfulc1390

flattering1393

pleasinga1398

well-queeminga1400

comelyc1400

farrandc1400

greable1401

goodlyc1405

amicable?a1425

placablec1429

amene1433

winful1438

listyc1440

dulcet1445

agreeablec1450

favourousc1485

sweetly?a1500

pleasureful?c1502

dulcea1513

grate1523

prettya1529

plausible1541

jolly1549

dulcoratec1550

toothsome1551

pleasurable1557

tickling1558

suavec1560

amenous1567

odoriferous?1575

perfumed1580

glada1586

tickle1593

pleasurous1595

favoursome1601

dulcean1606

gratifying1611

Hyblaean1614

gratulatea1616

arrident1616

solacefula1618

pleasantable1619

placid1628

contentsome1632

sapid1640

canny1643

gustful1647

peramene1657

pergrateful1657

tastefula1659

complacent1660

placentiousa1661

gratifactorya1665

bland1667

suavious1669

palatable1683

placent1683

complaisant1710

nice1747

tasty1796

sweetsome1799

titbit1820

connate1836

cunning1843

mooi1850

gemütlich1852

sympathique1859

congenial1878

sympathetic1900

sipid1908

onkus1910

sympathisch1911

a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1961) Deut. xii. 28 Þou doost þat is good & plesant [a1425 L.V. plesinge; L. placitum] in þe siȝt of þe lord.

a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) v. 1295 Hire grete beaute..was so plesant in his ye, That... He weddeth hire.

a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) 4745 Love..is..A plesaunt gayl and esy prisoun.

a1464 J. Capgrave Abbreuiacion of Cron. (Cambr. Gg.4.12) (1983) 24 A pilgrime ful rich was he [sc. Abraham] and pleasaunt to God.

1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) i. 10 And suth thyngis that ar likand Tyll mannys heryng, ar plesand.

1509 J. Fisher Mornynge Remembraunce Countesse of Rychemonde (de Worde) sig. Biv A pleasaunt & a swete lyfe..a lyfe full of ioye & pleasure.

1552 Abp. J. Hamilton Catech. Pref. Na thing culd be to God mair plesand.

1576 A. Fleming tr. C. Plinius Novocomensis in Panoplie Epist. 252 It is vnto mee the pleasauntest thing in the world vniuersall.

1639 in Proc. Soc. Antiq. 2nd Ser. 14 373 The other 2 [marble pillars]..very pleasaunt and strounge.

1648 S. Danforth Almanack 2 Behold a choyce, a rare and pleasant plant, Which nothing but it's parallell doth want.

1704 ‘R. G.’ Accomplish'd Female Instructor ii. 93 It [sc. cider] will be very fine, and drink like a pleasant Wine.

1762 Ld. Kames Elements Crit. I. ii. 129 Pleasant and painful are qualities of the emotions we feel.

1814 J. Bray Transformation i. iii. 11 I have a pleasant piece of news for you. My nephew will arrive here to-day.

1882 Cent. Mag. Nov. 32/1 I spent a delicious evening,—for, to have heard Hugo talk, is one of the pleasantest recollections of my literary life.

1910 E. M. Forster Howards End x. 82 The nine windows, the vine, and the wych-elm had no pleasant connections for her, and she would have preferred to spend the afternoon at a concert.

1957 L. P. Hartley Hireling x. 77 He had a pleasant, musical voice, cultivated without being affected.

2002 Guardian 27 July (Guide Suppl.) 32/2 His new boozer sits on the bank of the Grand Union Canal and is a pleasant enough place to while away a couple of hours.

3. Of a person: having pleasing manners, demeanour, or appearance; amiable, cheerful, good-humoured.

ΘΚΠ

the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > [adjective] > agreeable in manner

sweetc825

soota1250

coutha1375

pleasantc1387

gallant?a1513

plausible1577

plausive1595

placentiousa1661

winsome1677

genial1746

clever1758

nice1830

decent1902

c1387–95 G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. 138 She was of greet desport And ful plesaunt [v.rr. plesable; plesynge; of plesaunce] and amyable of port.

c1395 G. Chaucer Canon's Yeoman's Tale 1014 In London was a preest..Which was so plesaunt [v.r. curteys] and so seruisable Vn to the wyf wher as he was at table That she wolde suffre hym no thyng for to paye.

c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) 808 (MED) He calde, & sone þer com A porter pure plesaunt..& haylsed þe knyȝt erraunt.

c1450 (a1400) R. Lavynham Treat. Seven Deadly Sins (Harl. 211) (1956) 23 (MED) He or sche..sumtyme for loue waxith seek..wowyng wt fayr wordis..& in quynte disgysynge to seme plesawnt & amyable.

1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. cccxlvii^v Ihon Cardinall of Lorayne..had bene all his life time a most pleasaunt gest and companion.

1604 T. Wright Passions of Minde (new ed.) v. §4. 239 Our Lord loveth a pleasant giver.

1642 H. More Ψυχωδια Platonica sig. C8 A jolly Swain Methought he was; meek, cheerfull, and pleasant.

1705 G. Stanhope Paraphr. Epist. & Gospels I. 115 Content and even pleasant under Hardships.

1749 R. Dodsley Preceptor I. iv. 331 As we see by common Experience, that one very gay and pleasant Person propagates his chearful Humour where-ever he cometh.

1777 H. H. Brackenridge Death Gen. Montgomery iv. ii. 37 Sweet youth, most lovely in thy shape and mein, Gay, pleasant, cheerful, courteous and soft To thy companion.

1831 J. Sinclair Corr. II. 385 One of the liveliest and pleasantest men I ever met with, was the Marquis del Campo.

1873 W. Black Princess of Thule ii. 24 A clever woman is always a pleasanter companion than a clever man.

1903 J. Conrad & F. M. Hueffer Romance i. i. 4 A pleasant, well-spoken, amiable young squire.

1946 A. Christie Hollow xxvi. 221 The revolver isn't in her studio or in her possession. She was quite pleasant about the search—seemed amused.

1987 J. Diski Rainforest viii. 85 He had been pleasant enough, listening politely to her suggestions.

a. Humorous, jocular, facetious; merry, light-hearted. †to make pleasant: to be festive, make merry (obsolete). Now archaic and rare. Sc. National Dict. (1968) records this sense as still in use in 1966.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > pleasure > merriment > [adjective]

blitheOE

merryOE

golikc1175

lustya1225

playfulc1225

jollyc1305

merrya1350

jocund?c1380

galliardc1386

in (also on) a (merry, etc.) pinc1395

mirthfula1400

baudec1400

gayc1400

jovy1426

jocantc1440

crank1499

envoisiesa1500

as merry as a cricket1509

pleasant1530

frolic?1548

jolious1575

gleeful1586

buxom1590

gleesome1590

festival1592

laughter-loving1592

disposed1593

jucund1596

heartsomec1600

jovial1607

jovialist1610

laughsome1612

jocundary1618

gaysome1633

chirpinga1637

jovialissime1652

airy1654

festivous1654

hilarous1659

spleneticala1661

cocket1671

cranny1673

high1695

vogie1715

raffing?1719

festal1724

as merry (or lively) as a grig1728

hearty1755

tittuping1772

festive1774

fun-loving1776

mirthsome1787

Falstaffian1809

cranky1811

laughful1825

as lively as a cricket1832

hurrah1835

hilarious1838

Bacchic1865

laughterful1874

griggish1879

banzai1929

slap-you-on-the-back1932

society > leisure > social event > a merrymaking or convivial occasion > merrymaking or conviviality > make merry [verb (intransitive)]

to make feast?c1225

to make merryc1330

merrymakec1395

to have a good (bad, etc.) time (of it, formerly on it)1509

to make pleasant1530

gaud1532

to play the goodfellow1563

company1591

junket1607

rage1979

the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > [adjective] > humorous or jesting

bourdfula1425

pleasant1530

facete1600

joculary1605

merrya1616

jocundary1618

lepidc1619

droll1623

humorousa1652

drollerical1656

humoursome1656

drollish1674

ludicrous1687

humorific1819

jestful1831

humoristica1834

1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 321/1 Pleasante propre, galliarde.

1545 Primer Kynges Maiestie (STC 16034) sig. DD.i Aryse, Lord, let..the righteous and Christes disciples make pleasaunt & mery.

1555 R. Eden tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde iii. viii. f. 134^v The pleasaunt wanderer perceaued that the Christians ceased to pursue hym.

1581 G. Pettie tr. S. Guazzo Ciuile Conuersat. (1586) i. 45 Which kinde of men, a pleasant writer scoffing at, sayth, That that meate is vnpleasant in tast, which smelleth of the smoake.

1638 W. Berkeley Lost Lady v. 50 Her. Evgenio and he are of such equall tempers, I shall suspect he has dissembled too. Mi. Oh you are pleasant.

c1670 T. Hobbes Dial. Com. Laws (1681) 24 All..the Contentments and Ease which some pleasant men have related of the land of Cocquany.

1710 R. Steele Tatler No. 246. ⁋9 Dick Reptile, who does not want Humour, is very pleasant at our Club when he sees an old Fellow touchy at being laughed at for any Thing that is not in the Mode.

1770 J. Armstrong Forced Marriage iv. iii, in Misc. II. 96 You're pleasant, dear Alphonso. Ha! ha! ha!

1782 W. Cowper John Gilpin 169 Now Gilpin had a pleasant wit.

a1880 T. T. Stoddart Crown Jewel (1898) ii. i Ella. Should this be all, it will enliven you. A jest below his roof is now-a-days Of rare occurrence. Gon. You are pleasant, madam.

1894 P. H. Hunter James Inwick iii There wasna his maik at waddins an' kirsenins, he was that joky an' pleesant.

1911 K. Tynan New Poems 15 God made Him birds in a pleasant humour; Tired of planets and suns was He.

†b. Boisterous or excited from drinking alcohol; tipsy, merry. Obsolete.

ΘΚΠ

the world > food and drink > drink > thirst > excess in drinking > [adjective] > drunk > partially drunk

merrya1382

semi-bousyc1460

pipe merry1542

totty1570

tipsy1577

martin-drunk1592

pleasant1596

mellow1611

tip-merry1612

flustered1615

lusticka1616

well to live1619

jolly1652

happy1662

hazy1673

top-heavy1687

hearty1695

half-seas-over1699

oiled1701

mellowish1703

half channelled over1709

drunkish1710

half-and-half1718

touched1722

uppisha1726

tosie1727

bosky1730

funny1751

fairish1756

cherry-merry1769

in suds1770

muddy1776

glorious1790

groggified1796

well-corned1800

fresh1804

to be mops and brooms1814

foggy1816

how-come-ye-so1816

screwy1820

off the nail1821

on (also, esp. in early use, upon) the go1821

swipey1821

muggy1822

rosy1823

snuffy1823

spreeish1825

elevated1827

up a stump1829

half-cockedc1830

tightish1830

tipsified1830

half shaved1834

screwed1837

half-shot1838

squizzed1845

drinky1846

a sheet in the wind1862

tight1868

toppy1885

tiddly1905

oiled-up1918

bonkers1943

sloshed1946

tiddled1956

hickey-

1596 W. Raleigh Discoverie Guiana (new ed.) 55 Some of our captaines garoused of his wine till they were reasonable pleasant, for it is very strong with pepper.

1680 Bp. G. Burnet Some Passages Life Rochester (1692) 12 The natural heat of his fancy being inflamed by wine made him..so extravagantly pleasant that [etc.].

1853 ‘C. Bede’ Adventures Mr. Verdant Green iv. 31 He comes home pleasant at night from some wine-party.

5. Amusing, comical; ridiculous. Now archaic and rare.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > [adjective] > comical

merryc1390

pleasant1553

comical1575

mowsome1596

zany1616

burlesque1656

humoursome1656

farce-like1681

foolish1691

farcical1715

amusive1727

farciful1731

funny1739

farcic1763

quizzical1785

quizzy1785

quizzish1792

rib-tickling1809

smileable1830

cocasse1868

priceless1907

skit1914

funny-ha-ha1916

gas1955

1553 T. Wilson Arte of Rhetorique ii. f. 75 Wee confute wholy his saiynges, with some pleasaunt iest.

1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies i. xiv. 47 From our Peru..they might well bring gold, silver, and pleasant monkies.

1688 S. Penton Guardian's Instr. 48 It was pleasant to see how my Son trembled to see the Proctour come in.

1716 J. Addison Freeholder No. 9. ⁋13 The most pleasant Grievance is still behind.

1760 S. Foote Minor ii. 73 They took him off at the play-house, some time ago; pleasant, but wrong. Public characters shou'd not be sported with.

1982 E. J. Burford (title) Bawdy verse: a pleasant collection.

B. adv.

= pleasantly adv. Now nonstandard.

ΘΚΠ

the mind > emotion > pleasure > quality of being pleasant or pleasurable > [adverb]

sweetlyc900

queemlyOE

lustly971

winlyc1000

sootlya1125

to (a person's) queemc1175

lustilya1225

avenantlya1375

pleasinglya1398

queema1400

beinc1400

farrandlyc1400

pleasantlyc1400

pleasantlya1425

queemfullyc1425

thankfullyc1480

greablyc1500

dulcely1508

dulcea1525

pleasant1553

agreeably?1567

pleasurably1580

sugarly1587

flattering1597

sweet1597

attractively1640

well-pleasingly1645

welcomely1646

flatteringly1661

relishingly1677

satisfyingly1743

sweetsome1799

smilingly1806

dulcetly1810

gratifyingly1822

honeyedly1832

enjoyably1877

suavely1883

congenially1884

a fair treat1884

1553 T. Wilson Arte of Rhetorique ii. f. 76 More..then the pleasant disposed man is willyng fully to set furth.

1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies ii. xiv. 115 They might live at the Indies very pleasant and happily.

1609 Bible (Douay) I. Exod. xx. comm. How pleasant eloquent is that Gregorie, called the great.

1839 M. R. Walker in C. M. Drury Elkanah & Mary Walker (1940) 125 [My husband] scarce spoke pleasant all day.

1843 C. Dickens Christmas Carol iv. 145 He is the pleasantest-spoken gentleman.

a1870 A. Evans Poems (1880) ii. 53 She didn't speak pleasant; I can't say she did.

1972 L. Lamb Pict. Frame xv. 139 Seen him wunst, I reckon. Spoke pleasant, like.

Compounds

C1. Forming (chiefly parasynthetic) adjectives, as pleasant-faced, pleasant-featured, pleasant-looking, pleasant-mannered, pleasant-spirited, pleasant-tongued, pleasant-witted, etc.

ΚΠ

1538 J. Husee Let. 18 Oct. in Lisle Papers (P.R.O. SP 3/5) V. f. 75 What wyll ther be sayde whan than your lordship being.. callyd the plezentest wytyd in the world sholde so sodynly be chaynged.

1566 J. Studley tr. Seneca Medea f. 5 Such venome growes of pleasaunt colourd flower.

a1578 R. Lindsay Hist. & Cron. Scotl. (1899) II. 17 He was..fair plessant faceit.

1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. lxxiv. 218 It is no great disgrace though they suffer pleasant witted men a little to intermingle with zeale scorne.

1600 W. Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing ii. i. 320 By my troth a pleasant spirited lady.

1653 R. Saunders Physiognomie iii. 279 This various, yet pleasant relisht Doctrine.

1685 J. Dryden Daphnis Misc. Poems ii. 119 A pleasant sounding name's a pretty thing.

1705 W. Coward Abramideis i. 42 The pleasant Sounding Battery.

1779 J. Black Let. 5 July in E. Robinson & D. McKie Partners in Sci. (1970) 64 He is a Very good and pleasant tempered lad.

1792 C. Smith Desmond III. xi. 154 The village of Meudon—where, among its pleasant-looking houses, they still point out the habitation of the celebrated Rabelais.

1853 E. C. Gaskell Cranford viii. 153 Lady Glenmire..who had been very pretty in the days of her youth, and who was even yet very pleasant-looking.

1873 ‘M. Twain’ & C. D. Warner Gilded Age xx. 187 Senator Dilworthy was..a pleasant spoken man, a popular man with the people.

1877 ‘Mrs. Forrester’ Mignon I. 2 There is one pleasant-faced, cheery mannered Divine.

1897 Westm. Gaz. 23 Apr. 1/3 It is only thoughtless persons who suppose..that..you have only got to be of medium looks, pleasant-tongued, cheerful-minded, willing and obliging.

1901 Daily News 12 Mar. 2/6 ‘Some of the negresses,’ said the lecturer, ‘are very pleasant-featured.’

1924 R. Macaulay Orphan Island xx. 259 Charles, the graceful, pleasant-mannered young man, to whom Flora Smith had taken a fancy.

1959 T. S. Eliot Elder Statesman i. 22 A foreign person By the looks of him. But talks good English. A pleasant-spoken gentleman.

1986 Atlantic (Nexis) July 32 The author of ‘To a Youthful Friend’..is at bottom, one feels, and primarily, a pleasant-minded woman.

2002 Washington Post (Nexis) 26 May w3 Your average Washingtonian is a fine-looking individual: modestly proportioned, pleasant-featured, alert, at least moderately graceful.

C2.

Pleasant Sunday Afternoon n. now historical a type of meeting associated with various nonconformist churches in Britain in the late 19th cent., which aimed to provide Christian instruction in a more approachable format than that of regular Sunday services, and as an alternative to secular recreational activities; (also) the movement which promoted these meetings; abbreviated P.S.A.

ΚΠ

1888 Sheffield & Rotherham Independent 10 Dec. 2/5 Mr. Blackham, of West Bromwich, gave an account of the remarkable development of the Bible class work, entitled ‘Pleasant Sunday afternoons’, which he originated in 1875.

1899 Daily News 27 Nov. 8/3 One of the chief attractions of the Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Service, for men only, at the Browning Settlement, at Walworth, is its unconventionality.

1911 E. Underhill Let. 7 Feb. (1943) i. 120 These experiences are a perfectly normal part of the spiritual life: which is not designed on the lines of a ‘Pleasant Sunday Afternoon’.

1940 H. Spring Fame is Spur iii. xxiv. 700 I still find it a bit difficult to follow a man who once demanded the Millennium and now says he'll make do with Pleasant Sunday Afternoons.

1963 K. S. Inglis Churches & Working Classes in Victorian Eng. ii. 79 The Pleasant Sunday Afternoon was invented in 1875 by John Blackham, an Independent deacon in West Bromwich. Blackham made no effort to persuade anybody to copy the system.

1984 Eng. Hist. Rev. 99 308 There were..two kinds of alternatives to political action, a passive one..and an active one which..preached in church/chapel, attended Pleasant Sunday Afternoons, [etc.].

This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022).

单词	pleasant
释义	† pleasantn. Forms: 1600s plaisant, 1600s pleasant; Scottish pre-1700 plaisant, pre-1700 pleasant, pre-1700 plesant. Origin: Formed within English, by conversion; modelled on a French lexical item. Etymon: pleasant adj. Etymology: < pleasant adj., after Middle French, French plaisant (c1549 in this sense), use as noun of plaisant pleasant adj. Originally Scottish. Obsolete. A jester, a clown, a fool.In quot. 1664 as an epithet. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > the arts > performance arts > performance of jester or comedian > [noun] > jester or comedian jugglerc1175 foolc1300 jangler1303 fool sagec1330 ribald1340 ape-ward1362 japer1377 sage fool1377 harlotc1390 disporter?a1475 jocular?a1475 joculatora1500 jester?1518 idiot1526 scoffer1530 sporter1531 dizzardc1540 vice1552 antic1564 bauble-bearer1568 scoggin1579 buffoon1584 pleasant1595 zany1596 baladine1599 clown1600 fiddle1600 mimic1601 ape-carrier1615 mime1616 mime-man1631 merry man1648 tomfool1650 pickle-herring1656 badine1670 puddingc1675 merry-andrew1677 mimical1688 Tom Tram1688 Monaghan1689 pickled herring1711 ethologist1727 court-foola1797 Tom1817 mimer1819 fun-maker1835 funny man1839 mimester1846 comic1857 comedian1860 jokesman1882 comique1886 Joey1896 tummler1938 alternative comedian1981 Andrew- the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > [noun] > jest or pleasantry > one who jests or jokes jangler1303 bourder1330 triflera1382 mower1440 jester?1510 dizzardc1540 patch1549 pleasant1595 fiddle1600 motleya1605 banterer1678 morosoph1693 joker1729 farceur1781 funster1788 plaisanteur1828 cut-up1843 kibitzer1925 1595 A. Duncan Appendix Etymologiae: Index in Latinae Grammaticae Morio, a pleasant, a play foole. 1606 P. Holland tr. Suetonius Hist. Twelve Caesars 250 Whereupon one of these plaisants [L. quidam urbanorum] came out with a pretie conceit. 1617 in 3rd Rep. Royal Comm. Hist. MSS (1872) 409/1 Archibald Armstrong his Majesties pleasant quha come to this burght with the Inglishe Knichtis. 1632 P. Holland tr. Xenophon Cyrupædia 42 Why should not they more truely be called, merry conceited Pleasants rather than Boasters? 1664 Househ. Bks. Archb. Sharp in Misc. Maitl. C. II. 511 To Edward the pleasant. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online December 2020). pleasantadj.adv. Brit. /ˈplɛznt/, U.S. /ˈplɛznt/ Forms: α. Middle English playsant, Middle English playsaunt, Middle English playsaunte, Middle English pleisant, Middle English plesannt, Middle English plesaun, Middle English plesaunte, Middle English plesawnt, Middle English pleysaunt, Middle English–1500s plesante, Middle English–1600s pleasaunt, Middle English–1600s plesant, Middle English–1600s plesaunt, Middle English–1700s (1800s Irish English) plaisant, Middle English– pleasant, 1500s plasaunt, 1500s pleasante, 1500s pleasaunte, 1500s pleasunt, 1500s plezent, 1600s pleasauntt, 1600s pleasent; Scottish pre-1700 plaisant, pre-1700 playsant, pre-1700 pleasent, pre-1700 pleassant, pre-1700 pleisant, pre-1700 pleisaunt, pre-1700 plesant, pre-1700 plesaunt, pre-1700 plesent, pre-1700 plessant, pre-1700 plisant, pre-1700 1700s– pleasant, 1800s pleesant. β. Scottish pre-1700 pleasand, pre-1700 pleasande, pre-1700 pleisand, pre-1700 pleissand, pre-1700 plesand, pre-1700 plesande, pre-1700 plesaund, pre-1700 plessand, pre-1700 pleysand, pre-1700 pleyssande. Origin: A borrowing from French. Etymons: French plaisant, plesent. Etymology: < Anglo-Norman plaisant, plaisaunt, pleisant, pleisaunt, plesant and Middle French plaisant, (rare) plesent (French plaisant ) giving pleasure, delightful (second half of the 12th cent.), (of a person) having pleasing manners, amiable (mid 14th cent. or earlier), amusing (second half of the 15th cent. or earlier, used of people, actions, or words; in sense ‘ridiculous, peculiar’ apparently not paralleled in French until later (1579)), use as adjective of present participle of plaisir , pleisir , plesir , etc. (see please v.). Sense A. 1 is apparently not recorded in dictionaries of French. Compare Old Occitan plazen pleasing (a1148; Occitan plasent ), Catalan †plasent pleasing (now plaent ; both late 13th cent.), Spanish placiente pleasing (a1260 as †plaziente in this sense; earlier in sense ‘acquiescing’, ‘consenting’ (1190 as †plazient , first half of the 13th cent. as placiente , †plaçiente ; now obsolete in this sense)), Portuguese prazente pleasing, (of persons) well-disposed, amiable (15th cent.; it is unclear whether the active or the passive sense is exemplified by the earliest use), Italian piacente pleasing (a1250). With use as adverb compare earlier pleasantly adv., pleasingly adv.Apparently attested earlier as a surname (Simon Plesent (1320), Thomas Pleisaunt (1332)), although it is unclear whether these are to be interpreted as reflecting the Middle English or the Anglo-Norman word. The β. forms show Older Scots alteration of the ending after -and suffix¹. A. adj. †1. Affected by feelings of satisfaction or pleasure; favourable, well-disposed. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > attention and judgement > esteem > favour > [adjective] > favourably disposed favourable1340 pleasantc1350 propense?1534 good disposed1553 well-affectioned1561 well-affected?1563 well-conceited1592 propensive1599 conceited1612 well-set1632 well-disposed1660 c1350 Psalter (BL Add. 17376) in K. D. Bülbring Earliest Compl. Eng. Prose Psalter (1891) lxxvi. 7 Þynge to witen, ȝif God shal put owai my gost wiþ-outen ende, oþer he ne sett nouȝt þat he..ȝit be more pleisant [v.r. plesyng; a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) plesid; L. complacitior]. 2. That gives pleasure, delight, or satisfaction. Now chiefly in weakened sense: agreeable, nice; quite enjoyable. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > pleasure > quality of being pleasant or pleasurable > [adjective] winsomea900 sweetc900 likingeOE i-quemec950 lieflyOE winlyOE hereOE thankfulc1000 merryOE queemc1175 beina1200 willea1200 leesomec1200 savouryc1225 estea1250 i-wilc1275 winc1275 welcomea1300 doucea1350 well-pleasingc1350 acceptablea1382 pleasablea1382 pleasanta1382 pleaseda1382 acceptedc1384 amiablec1384 well-likinga1387 queemfulc1390 flattering1393 pleasinga1398 well-queeminga1400 comelyc1400 farrandc1400 greable1401 goodlyc1405 amicable?a1425 placablec1429 amene1433 winful1438 listyc1440 dulcet1445 agreeablec1450 favourousc1485 sweetly?a1500 pleasureful?c1502 dulcea1513 grate1523 prettya1529 plausible1541 jolly1549 dulcoratec1550 toothsome1551 pleasurable1557 tickling1558 suavec1560 amenous1567 odoriferous?1575 perfumed1580 glada1586 tickle1593 pleasurous1595 favoursome1601 dulcean1606 gratifying1611 Hyblaean1614 gratulatea1616 arrident1616 solacefula1618 pleasantable1619 placid1628 contentsome1632 sapid1640 canny1643 gustful1647 peramene1657 pergrateful1657 tastefula1659 complacent1660 placentiousa1661 gratifactorya1665 bland1667 suavious1669 palatable1683 placent1683 complaisant1710 nice1747 tasty1796 sweetsome1799 titbit1820 connate1836 cunning1843 mooi1850 gemütlich1852 sympathique1859 congenial1878 sympathetic1900 sipid1908 onkus1910 sympathisch1911 a1382 Bible (Wycliffite, E.V.) (Bodl. 959) (1961) Deut. xii. 28 Þou doost þat is good & plesant [a1425 L.V. plesinge; L. placitum] in þe siȝt of þe lord. a1393 J. Gower Confessio Amantis (Fairf.) v. 1295 Hire grete beaute..was so plesant in his ye, That... He weddeth hire. a1425 (?a1400) G. Chaucer Romaunt Rose (Hunterian) 4745 Love..is..A plesaunt gayl and esy prisoun. a1464 J. Capgrave Abbreuiacion of Cron. (Cambr. Gg.4.12) (1983) 24 A pilgrime ful rich was he [sc. Abraham] and pleasaunt to God. 1489 (a1380) J. Barbour Bruce (Adv.) i. 10 And suth thyngis that ar likand Tyll mannys heryng, ar plesand. 1509 J. Fisher Mornynge Remembraunce Countesse of Rychemonde (de Worde) sig. Biv A pleasaunt & a swete lyfe..a lyfe full of ioye & pleasure. 1552 Abp. J. Hamilton Catech. Pref. Na thing culd be to God mair plesand. 1576 A. Fleming tr. C. Plinius Novocomensis in Panoplie Epist. 252 It is vnto mee the pleasauntest thing in the world vniuersall. 1639 in Proc. Soc. Antiq. 2nd Ser. 14 373 The other 2 [marble pillars]..very pleasaunt and strounge. 1648 S. Danforth Almanack 2 Behold a choyce, a rare and pleasant plant, Which nothing but it's parallell doth want. 1704 ‘R. G.’ Accomplish'd Female Instructor ii. 93 It [sc. cider] will be very fine, and drink like a pleasant Wine. 1762 Ld. Kames Elements Crit. I. ii. 129 Pleasant and painful are qualities of the emotions we feel. 1814 J. Bray Transformation i. iii. 11 I have a pleasant piece of news for you. My nephew will arrive here to-day. 1882 Cent. Mag. Nov. 32/1 I spent a delicious evening,—for, to have heard Hugo talk, is one of the pleasantest recollections of my literary life. 1910 E. M. Forster Howards End x. 82 The nine windows, the vine, and the wych-elm had no pleasant connections for her, and she would have preferred to spend the afternoon at a concert. 1957 L. P. Hartley Hireling x. 77 He had a pleasant, musical voice, cultivated without being affected. 2002 Guardian 27 July (Guide Suppl.) 32/2 His new boozer sits on the bank of the Grand Union Canal and is a pleasant enough place to while away a couple of hours. 3. Of a person: having pleasing manners, demeanour, or appearance; amiable, cheerful, good-humoured. ΘΚΠ the world > action or operation > behaviour > good behaviour > courtesy > [adjective] > agreeable in manner sweetc825 soota1250 coutha1375 pleasantc1387 gallant?a1513 plausible1577 plausive1595 placentiousa1661 winsome1677 genial1746 clever1758 nice1830 decent1902 c1387–95 G. Chaucer Canterbury Tales Prol. 138 She was of greet desport And ful plesaunt [v.rr. plesable; plesynge; of plesaunce] and amyable of port. c1395 G. Chaucer Canon's Yeoman's Tale 1014 In London was a preest..Which was so plesaunt [v.r. curteys] and so seruisable Vn to the wyf wher as he was at table That she wolde suffre hym no thyng for to paye. c1400 (?c1390) Sir Gawain & Green Knight (1940) 808 (MED) He calde, & sone þer com A porter pure plesaunt..& haylsed þe knyȝt erraunt. c1450 (a1400) R. Lavynham Treat. Seven Deadly Sins (Harl. 211) (1956) 23 (MED) He or sche..sumtyme for loue waxith seek..wowyng wt fayr wordis..& in quynte disgysynge to seme plesawnt & amyable. 1560 J. Daus tr. J. Sleidane Commentaries f. cccxlvii^v Ihon Cardinall of Lorayne..had bene all his life time a most pleasaunt gest and companion. 1604 T. Wright Passions of Minde (new ed.) v. §4. 239 Our Lord loveth a pleasant giver. 1642 H. More Ψυχωδια Platonica sig. C8 A jolly Swain Methought he was; meek, cheerfull, and pleasant. 1705 G. Stanhope Paraphr. Epist. & Gospels I. 115 Content and even pleasant under Hardships. 1749 R. Dodsley Preceptor I. iv. 331 As we see by common Experience, that one very gay and pleasant Person propagates his chearful Humour where-ever he cometh. 1777 H. H. Brackenridge Death Gen. Montgomery iv. ii. 37 Sweet youth, most lovely in thy shape and mein, Gay, pleasant, cheerful, courteous and soft To thy companion. 1831 J. Sinclair Corr. II. 385 One of the liveliest and pleasantest men I ever met with, was the Marquis del Campo. 1873 W. Black Princess of Thule ii. 24 A clever woman is always a pleasanter companion than a clever man. 1903 J. Conrad & F. M. Hueffer Romance i. i. 4 A pleasant, well-spoken, amiable young squire. 1946 A. Christie Hollow xxvi. 221 The revolver isn't in her studio or in her possession. She was quite pleasant about the search—seemed amused. 1987 J. Diski Rainforest viii. 85 He had been pleasant enough, listening politely to her suggestions. 4. a. Humorous, jocular, facetious; merry, light-hearted. †to make pleasant: to be festive, make merry (obsolete). Now archaic and rare. Sc. National Dict. (1968) records this sense as still in use in 1966. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > pleasure > merriment > [adjective] blitheOE merryOE golikc1175 lustya1225 playfulc1225 jollyc1305 merrya1350 jocund?c1380 galliardc1386 in (also on) a (merry, etc.) pinc1395 mirthfula1400 baudec1400 gayc1400 jovy1426 jocantc1440 crank1499 envoisiesa1500 as merry as a cricket1509 pleasant1530 frolic?1548 jolious1575 gleeful1586 buxom1590 gleesome1590 festival1592 laughter-loving1592 disposed1593 jucund1596 heartsomec1600 jovial1607 jovialist1610 laughsome1612 jocundary1618 gaysome1633 chirpinga1637 jovialissime1652 airy1654 festivous1654 hilarous1659 spleneticala1661 cocket1671 cranny1673 high1695 vogie1715 raffing?1719 festal1724 as merry (or lively) as a grig1728 hearty1755 tittuping1772 festive1774 fun-loving1776 mirthsome1787 Falstaffian1809 cranky1811 laughful1825 as lively as a cricket1832 hurrah1835 hilarious1838 Bacchic1865 laughterful1874 griggish1879 banzai1929 slap-you-on-the-back1932 society > leisure > social event > a merrymaking or convivial occasion > merrymaking or conviviality > make merry [verb (intransitive)] to make feast?c1225 to make merryc1330 merrymakec1395 to have a good (bad, etc.) time (of it, formerly on it)1509 to make pleasant1530 gaud1532 to play the goodfellow1563 company1591 junket1607 rage1979 the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > [adjective] > humorous or jesting bourdfula1425 pleasant1530 facete1600 joculary1605 merrya1616 jocundary1618 lepidc1619 droll1623 humorousa1652 drollerical1656 humoursome1656 drollish1674 ludicrous1687 humorific1819 jestful1831 humoristica1834 1530 J. Palsgrave Lesclarcissement 321/1 Pleasante propre, galliarde. 1545 Primer Kynges Maiestie (STC 16034) sig. DD.i Aryse, Lord, let..the righteous and Christes disciples make pleasaunt & mery. 1555 R. Eden tr. Peter Martyr of Angleria Decades of Newe Worlde iii. viii. f. 134^v The pleasaunt wanderer perceaued that the Christians ceased to pursue hym. 1581 G. Pettie tr. S. Guazzo Ciuile Conuersat. (1586) i. 45 Which kinde of men, a pleasant writer scoffing at, sayth, That that meate is vnpleasant in tast, which smelleth of the smoake. 1638 W. Berkeley Lost Lady v. 50 Her. Evgenio and he are of such equall tempers, I shall suspect he has dissembled too. Mi. Oh you are pleasant. c1670 T. Hobbes Dial. Com. Laws (1681) 24 All..the Contentments and Ease which some pleasant men have related of the land of Cocquany. 1710 R. Steele Tatler No. 246. ⁋9 Dick Reptile, who does not want Humour, is very pleasant at our Club when he sees an old Fellow touchy at being laughed at for any Thing that is not in the Mode. 1770 J. Armstrong Forced Marriage iv. iii, in Misc. II. 96 You're pleasant, dear Alphonso. Ha! ha! ha! 1782 W. Cowper John Gilpin 169 Now Gilpin had a pleasant wit. a1880 T. T. Stoddart Crown Jewel (1898) ii. i Ella. Should this be all, it will enliven you. A jest below his roof is now-a-days Of rare occurrence. Gon. You are pleasant, madam. 1894 P. H. Hunter James Inwick iii There wasna his maik at waddins an' kirsenins, he was that joky an' pleesant. 1911 K. Tynan New Poems 15 God made Him birds in a pleasant humour; Tired of planets and suns was He. †b. Boisterous or excited from drinking alcohol; tipsy, merry. Obsolete. ΘΚΠ the world > food and drink > drink > thirst > excess in drinking > [adjective] > drunk > partially drunk merrya1382 semi-bousyc1460 pipe merry1542 totty1570 tipsy1577 martin-drunk1592 pleasant1596 mellow1611 tip-merry1612 flustered1615 lusticka1616 well to live1619 jolly1652 happy1662 hazy1673 top-heavy1687 hearty1695 half-seas-over1699 oiled1701 mellowish1703 half channelled over1709 drunkish1710 half-and-half1718 touched1722 uppisha1726 tosie1727 bosky1730 funny1751 fairish1756 cherry-merry1769 in suds1770 muddy1776 glorious1790 groggified1796 well-corned1800 fresh1804 to be mops and brooms1814 foggy1816 how-come-ye-so1816 screwy1820 off the nail1821 on (also, esp. in early use, upon) the go1821 swipey1821 muggy1822 rosy1823 snuffy1823 spreeish1825 elevated1827 up a stump1829 half-cockedc1830 tightish1830 tipsified1830 half shaved1834 screwed1837 half-shot1838 squizzed1845 drinky1846 a sheet in the wind1862 tight1868 toppy1885 tiddly1905 oiled-up1918 bonkers1943 sloshed1946 tiddled1956 hickey- 1596 W. Raleigh Discoverie Guiana (new ed.) 55 Some of our captaines garoused of his wine till they were reasonable pleasant, for it is very strong with pepper. 1680 Bp. G. Burnet Some Passages Life Rochester (1692) 12 The natural heat of his fancy being inflamed by wine made him..so extravagantly pleasant that [etc.]. 1853 ‘C. Bede’ Adventures Mr. Verdant Green iv. 31 He comes home pleasant at night from some wine-party. 5. Amusing, comical; ridiculous. Now archaic and rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > [adjective] > comical merryc1390 pleasant1553 comical1575 mowsome1596 zany1616 burlesque1656 humoursome1656 farce-like1681 foolish1691 farcical1715 amusive1727 farciful1731 funny1739 farcic1763 quizzical1785 quizzy1785 quizzish1792 rib-tickling1809 smileable1830 cocasse1868 priceless1907 skit1914 funny-ha-ha1916 gas1955 1553 T. Wilson Arte of Rhetorique ii. f. 75 Wee confute wholy his saiynges, with some pleasaunt iest. 1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies i. xiv. 47 From our Peru..they might well bring gold, silver, and pleasant monkies. 1688 S. Penton Guardian's Instr. 48 It was pleasant to see how my Son trembled to see the Proctour come in. 1716 J. Addison Freeholder No. 9. ⁋13 The most pleasant Grievance is still behind. 1760 S. Foote Minor ii. 73 They took him off at the play-house, some time ago; pleasant, but wrong. Public characters shou'd not be sported with. 1982 E. J. Burford (title) Bawdy verse: a pleasant collection. B. adv. = pleasantly adv. Now nonstandard. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > pleasure > quality of being pleasant or pleasurable > [adverb] sweetlyc900 queemlyOE lustly971 winlyc1000 sootlya1125 to (a person's) queemc1175 lustilya1225 avenantlya1375 pleasinglya1398 queema1400 beinc1400 farrandlyc1400 pleasantlyc1400 pleasantlya1425 queemfullyc1425 thankfullyc1480 greablyc1500 dulcely1508 dulcea1525 pleasant1553 agreeably?1567 pleasurably1580 sugarly1587 flattering1597 sweet1597 attractively1640 well-pleasingly1645 welcomely1646 flatteringly1661 relishingly1677 satisfyingly1743 sweetsome1799 smilingly1806 dulcetly1810 gratifyingly1822 honeyedly1832 enjoyably1877 suavely1883 congenially1884 a fair treat1884 1553 T. Wilson Arte of Rhetorique ii. f. 76 More..then the pleasant disposed man is willyng fully to set furth. 1604 E. Grimeston tr. J. de Acosta Nat. & Morall Hist. Indies ii. xiv. 115 They might live at the Indies very pleasant and happily. 1609 Bible (Douay) I. Exod. xx. comm. How pleasant eloquent is that Gregorie, called the great. 1839 M. R. Walker in C. M. Drury Elkanah & Mary Walker (1940) 125 [My husband] scarce spoke pleasant all day. 1843 C. Dickens Christmas Carol iv. 145 He is the pleasantest-spoken gentleman. a1870 A. Evans Poems (1880) ii. 53 She didn't speak pleasant; I can't say she did. 1972 L. Lamb Pict. Frame xv. 139 Seen him wunst, I reckon. Spoke pleasant, like. Compounds C1. Forming (chiefly parasynthetic) adjectives, as pleasant-faced, pleasant-featured, pleasant-looking, pleasant-mannered, pleasant-spirited, pleasant-tongued, pleasant-witted, etc. ΚΠ 1538 J. Husee Let. 18 Oct. in Lisle Papers (P.R.O. SP 3/5) V. f. 75 What wyll ther be sayde whan than your lordship being.. callyd the plezentest wytyd in the world sholde so sodynly be chaynged. 1566 J. Studley tr. Seneca Medea f. 5 Such venome growes of pleasaunt colourd flower. a1578 R. Lindsay Hist. & Cron. Scotl. (1899) II. 17 He was..fair plessant faceit. 1597 R. Hooker Of Lawes Eccl. Politie v. lxxiv. 218 It is no great disgrace though they suffer pleasant witted men a little to intermingle with zeale scorne. 1600 W. Shakespeare Much Ado about Nothing ii. i. 320 By my troth a pleasant spirited lady. View more context for this quotation 1653 R. Saunders Physiognomie iii. 279 This various, yet pleasant relisht Doctrine. 1685 J. Dryden Daphnis Misc. Poems ii. 119 A pleasant sounding name's a pretty thing. 1705 W. Coward Abramideis i. 42 The pleasant Sounding Battery. 1779 J. Black Let. 5 July in E. Robinson & D. McKie Partners in Sci. (1970) 64 He is a Very good and pleasant tempered lad. 1792 C. Smith Desmond III. xi. 154 The village of Meudon—where, among its pleasant-looking houses, they still point out the habitation of the celebrated Rabelais. 1853 E. C. Gaskell Cranford viii. 153 Lady Glenmire..who had been very pretty in the days of her youth, and who was even yet very pleasant-looking. 1873 ‘M. Twain’ & C. D. Warner Gilded Age xx. 187 Senator Dilworthy was..a pleasant spoken man, a popular man with the people. 1877 ‘Mrs. Forrester’ Mignon I. 2 There is one pleasant-faced, cheery mannered Divine. 1897 Westm. Gaz. 23 Apr. 1/3 It is only thoughtless persons who suppose..that..you have only got to be of medium looks, pleasant-tongued, cheerful-minded, willing and obliging. 1901 Daily News 12 Mar. 2/6 ‘Some of the negresses,’ said the lecturer, ‘are very pleasant-featured.’ 1924 R. Macaulay Orphan Island xx. 259 Charles, the graceful, pleasant-mannered young man, to whom Flora Smith had taken a fancy. 1959 T. S. Eliot Elder Statesman i. 22 A foreign person By the looks of him. But talks good English. A pleasant-spoken gentleman. 1986 Atlantic (Nexis) July 32 The author of ‘To a Youthful Friend’..is at bottom, one feels, and primarily, a pleasant-minded woman. 2002 Washington Post (Nexis) 26 May w3 Your average Washingtonian is a fine-looking individual: modestly proportioned, pleasant-featured, alert, at least moderately graceful. C2. Pleasant Sunday Afternoon n. now historical a type of meeting associated with various nonconformist churches in Britain in the late 19th cent., which aimed to provide Christian instruction in a more approachable format than that of regular Sunday services, and as an alternative to secular recreational activities; (also) the movement which promoted these meetings; abbreviated P.S.A. ΚΠ 1888 Sheffield & Rotherham Independent 10 Dec. 2/5 Mr. Blackham, of West Bromwich, gave an account of the remarkable development of the Bible class work, entitled ‘Pleasant Sunday afternoons’, which he originated in 1875. 1899 Daily News 27 Nov. 8/3 One of the chief attractions of the Pleasant Sunday Afternoon Service, for men only, at the Browning Settlement, at Walworth, is its unconventionality. 1911 E. Underhill Let. 7 Feb. (1943) i. 120 These experiences are a perfectly normal part of the spiritual life: which is not designed on the lines of a ‘Pleasant Sunday Afternoon’. 1940 H. Spring Fame is Spur iii. xxiv. 700 I still find it a bit difficult to follow a man who once demanded the Millennium and now says he'll make do with Pleasant Sunday Afternoons. 1963 K. S. Inglis Churches & Working Classes in Victorian Eng. ii. 79 The Pleasant Sunday Afternoon was invented in 1875 by John Blackham, an Independent deacon in West Bromwich. Blackham made no effort to persuade anybody to copy the system. 1984 Eng. Hist. Rev. 99 308 There were..two kinds of alternatives to political action, a passive one..and an active one which..preached in church/chapel, attended Pleasant Sunday Afternoons, [etc.]. This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022). pleasantv. Brit. /ˈplɛznt/, U.S. /ˈplɛznt/ Origin: Formed within English, by conversion. Etymon: pleasant adj. Etymology: < pleasant adj. In sense 3 apparently after French plaisanter to jest (see plaisanteur n.). Now rare. †1. transitive. To please by indulgence; to indulge. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > pleasure > quality of being pleasant or pleasurable > please or give pleasure to [verb (transitive)] > by indulgence humour1598 indulgiate1615 pleasant1628 indulge1660 society > morality > moral evil > moral or spiritual degeneration > degrading or impairing morally > degrade or impair morally [verb (transitive)] > indulge base feeling pamper1576 pandera1616 pleasant1628 1628 O. Felltham Resolves: 2nd Cent. xiii. 36 He sings, and reuels, and pleasants his spleene. 1726 A. Gavin Master-key to Popery (ed. 2) i. 65 The Pope pleasanted the Emperor. †2. transitive. To spend in pleasure. Obsolete. rare. ΘΚΠ society > leisure > entertainment > [verb (transitive)] > spend or pass in amusement sport1593 pleasant1631 the world > physical sensation > physical sensibility > sensuous pleasure > [verb (transitive)] > spend in pleasure pleasant1631 1631 Earl of Manchester Contemplatio Mortis 53 Some pleasant their liues, as if the world should alwayes laugh vpon them. 3. intransitive. U.S. colloquial. To make humorous remarks or jokes; to behave in a comical or foolish manner. Usually in present participle. ΘΚΠ the mind > emotion > pleasure > laughter > causing laughter > cause laughter [verb (intransitive)] > jest or joke gameOE jest1553 mow1559 cog1588 to break a jest1589 droll1654 joke1670 fool1673 crack a jest1721 crack a joke1753 pleasant1848 humorize1851 rot1896 kibitz1923 gag1942 1848 M. W. Savage Bachelor of Albany xxiv. 263 Adelaide had that very night been pleasanting with Laura on the subject of the bachelor. 1869 L. M. Alcott Little Women II. x. 151 See, I am not pleasanting when I say, haf you a wish for German? 1896 S. O. Jewett Country of Pointed Firs xviii. 172 I expected she'd come pleasantin' round just to show off an' say afterwards she was acquainted. 1929 Amer. Speech 5 127 [Maine] Someone might ‘come pleasantin' around.’ This entry has been updated (OED Third Edition, June 2006; most recently modified version published online March 2022). < n.1595adj.adv.c1350v.1628
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† pleasantn.

pleasantadj.adv.

Compounds

pleasantv.