displease
Intermediate (B1)
IPA: /dɪsˈpliz/
KK: /dɪsˈpliz/
intransitive verb
Definition
To make someone feel unhappy or dissatisfied.
Example
His rude comments tend to displease many people.
Tense Forms
Past: displeased
Past Participle: displeased
Conversation
Did you hear about the changes to the schedule?
Yeah, I think they might displease a lot of people.
I agree, especially those who planned their day around it.
Definitely! It's frustrating when things change unexpectedly.
Synonyms & Antonyms
Synonyms
irritate
offend
disturb
Antonyms
please
delight
satisfy
transitive verb
Definition
To make someone feel unhappy or annoyed.
Example
His rude comments were meant to displease her.
Tense Forms
Past: displeased
Past Participle: displeased
Conversation
I hope I didn't displease you with my comments yesterday.
Not at all! I appreciated your honesty.
I just wanted to make sure I didn’t offend you.
Root Explanation
Displease → It is formed from "dis-" (meaning apart or away) and "please" (from Latin "placere", meaning to please or be agreeable). The word "displease" means to cause someone to feel displeasure or to take away their sense of being pleased.
Memory Tip
Think of 'dis-' meaning 'away' and 'please' meaning to make happy — so when you displease someone, you are taking away their happiness.
Visually Confused Words
misplease
disease
undispleased
diseased
please