▪ I. disˈpleasing, vbl. n.
[f. as prec. + -ing1.]
The action of the verb displease; offending.
| 1387 Trevisa Higden (Rolls) II. 411 Priamus..hadde anon in mynde..þe displesynge [Higden contemptus] of his messager Antenor. 1530 Palsgr. 214/1 Displeasyng, remors, offention. 1580 Baret Alv. D 904 Without any displeasing of the tast. 1750 Johnson Rambler No. 26 ¶14 A servile fear of displeasing. |
▪ II. disˈpleasing, ppl. a.
[f. as prec. + -ing2.]
Causing displeasure, giving offence, disagreeable.
| 1401 Pol. Poems (Rolls) II. 17 It is..displeasing to God, and harme to oure soules. 1552 Abp. Hamilton Catech. (1884) 30 Displesand and nocht acceptable to God. 1597 Shakes. 2 Hen. IV, Epil. 10 A displeasing Play. 1643 Milton Divorce ii. viii. (1851) 80 By reason of some displeasing natural quality or unfitnes in her. 1779 F. Burney Diary Oct., A rich counsellor..but, to me, a displeasing man. 1845 M. Pattison Ess. (1889) I. 16 [The marriage] was also..highly displeasing to his father Chilperic. |
Hence disˈpleasingly adv.; disˈpleasingness.
| a 1652 J. Smith Sel. Disc. viii. 394 Nothing that might..carry in it any semblance of displeasingness. 1690 Locke Hum. Und. ii. xxi. (1695) 149 'Tis a mistake to think, that Men cannot change the Displeasingness or indifferency, that is in actions, into pleasure. 1731 Bailey, Displeasingly, offensively. 1753 Hogarth Anal. Beauty xi. 128 Although the form..should be ever so confused or displeasingly shaped to the eye! 1841 W. Palmer 6th Let. to Wiseman 28 A virtual displeasingness in this life. 1843 Lytton Last Bar. i. v, Associated displeasingly with recollections of pain. |