pleasing

[plee-zing] Origin

pleas·ing

[plee-zing]
adjective
giving pleasure; agreeable; gratifying: a pleasing performance.

Origin:
1350–1400; Middle English plesing. See please, -ing2

pleas·ing·ly, adverb
pleas·ing·ness, noun
half-pleas·ing, adjective
self-pleas·ing, adjective
un·pleas·ing, adjective


pleasant, charming, delightful, engaging. See interesting.

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Pleasing is always a great word to know.
So is slumgullion. Does it mean:
a stew of meat, vegetables, potatoes, etc.
a calculus or concretion found in the stomach or intestines of certain animals, esp. ruminants, formerly reputed to be an effective remedy for poison.
Dictionary.com Unabridged

please

[pleez] adverb, verb, pleased, pleas·ing.
adverb
1.
(used as a polite addition to requests, commands, etc.) if you would be so obliging; kindly: Please come here. will you please turn the radio off?
verb (used with object)
2.
to act to the pleasure or satisfaction of: to please the public.
3.
to be the pleasure or will of: May it please your Majesty.
verb (used without object)
4.
to like, wish, or feel inclined: Go where you please.
5.
to give pleasure or satisfaction; be agreeable: manners that please.
6.
if you please,
a.
if it be your pleasure; if you like or prefer.
b.
(used as an exclamation expressing astonishment, indignation, etc.): The missing letter was in his pocket, if you please!

Origin:
1275–1325; (v.) Middle English plesen, plaisen < Middle French plaisirLatin placēre to please, seem good (see placid); the use of please with requests, etc., is presumably a reduction of the clause (it) please you may it please you, later reinforced by imperative use of intransitive please to be pleased, wish

pleas·a·ble, adjective
pleas·ed·ly [plee-zid-lee, pleezd-] , adverb
pleas·ed·ness, noun
pleas·er, noun
half-pleased, adjective
EXPAND
out·please, verb (used with object), out·pleased, out·pleas·ing.
o·ver·please, verb, o·ver·pleased, o·ver·pleas·ing.
self-pleased, adjective
self-pleas·er, noun
un·pleas·a·ble, adjective
un·pleased, adjective
well-pleased, adjective
COLLAPSE

pleas, please.


4. choose, desire, prefer.

Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To Pleasing
Collins
World English Dictionary
pleasing (ˈpliːzɪŋ)
 
adj
giving pleasure; likable or gratifying
 
'pleasingly
 
adv
 
'pleasingness
 
n

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
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Etymonline
Word Origin & History

please
early 14c., "to be agreeable," from O.Fr. plaisir (Fr. plaire) "to please," from L. placere "to be acceptable, be liked, be approved," related to placare "to soothe, quiet," from PIE base *p(e)lag- "to smooth, make even" (cf. Gk. plax, gen. plakos "level surface," plakoeis "flat;" Lett. plakt "to become
EXPAND
flat;" O.N. flaga "layer of earth;" Norw. flag "open sea;" O.E. floh "piece of stone, fragment;" O.H.G. fluoh "cliff"). Intransitive sense (e.g. do as you please) first recorded c.1500; imperative use (e.g. please do this), first recorded 1620s, was probably a shortening of if it please (you) (late 14c.). Verbs for "please" supply the stereotype polite word ("Please come in," short for may it please you to ...) in many languages (Fr., It.), "But more widespread is the use of the first singular of a verb for 'ask, request' " [Buck, who cites Ger. bitte, Pol. prasze, etc.] Sp. favor is short for hace el favor "do the favor." Danish has in this sense vær saa god, lit. "be so good."
COLLAPSE
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
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