displease

present singular third person displeases · participle present displeasing · participle past displeased · past displeased

1. transitiveTo make not pleased; to cause a feeling of disapprobation or dislike in; to be disagreeable to; to vex slightly.

   I felt displeased with the boy.

   3 more examples

   The boy's rudeness displeased me.

   Wilt thou be displeased at us forever: and wilt thou stretch out thy wrath from one generation to another?

   1662, Thomas Cranmer [et al.], compilers, “The Psalms, Sixteenth Day, Evening Prayer”, in The Book of Common-Prayer, and Administration of the Sacraments, […], London: […] John Bill, and Christopher Barker, […], →OCLC

   How can an operator be, at the same time, top for overall satisfaction and bottom for value for money? I turned to Anthony Smith for the answer, leaning on his 20 years running Transport Focus and its predecessors. It's commuters, he explained. "You can't please commuters, you can only not displease them."

   2024 October 2, Philip Haigh, “Different types of passengers require different types of fare”, in RAIL, number 1019, page 54

2. intransitiveTo give displeasure or offense.
3. obsoletetransitiveTo fail to satisfy; to miss of.

   I shall displease my ends else.

   c. 1608–1611, Francis Beaumont, John Fletcher, “The Maid’s Tragedy”, in Comedies and Tragedies […], London: […] Humphrey Robinson, […], and for Humphrey Moseley […], published 1679, →OCLC, Act IV, scene i