plaintivement (-tiv-mān), adv., plaintively, mournfully, dolefully, sadly.
plaire (plaisant, plu), v.n., to please, to be agreeable; to delight, to suit. — à quelqu’un; to please any one. Cela vous plaît à dire; you are pleased to say so. Plaît-il? what do you say; beg pardon! Je ferai ce qu’il vous plaira; I will do what you please. Il ne me plaît pas que vous y alliez; I do not like your going there. Si cela ne vous plaît pas; if you are averse to it. Plût à Dieu; would to God. À Dieu ne plaise; God forbid.
se plaire, v.r., to delight in, to take pleasure in; to like, to love; to be pleased with, to take to; to flatter one’s self; to thrive. Il se plaît à faire du mal; he delights in doing mischief.
plaisamment (plè-za-mān), adv., humorously, pleasantly; ludicrously, laughably, amusingly.
plaisance, n.f., pleasure. Maison de —; villa, country seat. Bateau de —; pleasure boat. Lieu de —; pleasant retreat.
plaisant, -e, adj., pleasant; humorous, ludicrous, amusing, droll, funny, comical, pretty; odd, strange; singular, curious. C’est le plus — homme du monde; he is the most amusing fellow alive. Ce sont de —es gens; (iron.) they are impertinent people. Il vous a fait un — régal; he entertained you right royally. C’est un — personnage; he is a ridiculous fellow.
plaisant, n.m., jester; humor, fun, ludicrousness. Il fait le —; he tries to be funny. Un mauvais —; a sorry jester, a humbug. Le — de l’aventure; the laughable part of the adventure.
plaisanter, v.a., to joke, to banter, to jeer, to make fun of.
plaisanter, v.n., to jest, to joke, to make merry. Il plaisante sur tout; he jests about everything. C’est un homme qui ne plaisante pas; he is not a man to be trifled with. Il ne plaisante pas là-dessus; he is in downright earnest in the matter. En plaisantant; in jest, by way of a joke, jestingly.
plaisanterie (plè-zan-trî), n.f., pleasantry, jesting, joking, jest, joke; mockery; mere farce. — de bon ton, de mauvais ton; genteel, vulgar, pleasantry. — légère, piquante; light, pointed, pleasantry. Cela est dit par —; that is said in jest, by way of a joke. — à part; jesting aside. Il sait manier, il manie bien, la —; he is a good hand at a joke. Une bonne plaisanterie mérite les honneurs du bis; a good story will bear repetition.