please

Universal Words exclamation, verb exclamation 1 used as a polite way of asking for sth or telling sb to do sth: Please sit down. * Two coffees, please. * Quiet please! * Please could I leave early today? 2 used to add force to a request or statement: Please don't leave me here alone. * Please, please don't forget. * Please, I don't understand what I have to do. 3 used as a polite way of accepting sth: 'Would you like some help?' 'Yes, please.' * 'Coffee?' 'Please.' 4 (Please!) (informal, often humorous) used to ask sb to stop behaving badly: Children, please! I'm trying to work. * John! Please! 5 (Please, Pl-ease) used when you are replying to sb who has said sth that you think is stupid: Oh, please! You cannot be serious. verb 1 to make sb happy: [VN] You can't please everybody. * He's a difficult man to please. * There's just no pleasing some people (= some people are impossible to please). * I did it to please my parents. * [V] She's always very eager to please. [also VNtoinf] OPPDISPLEASE 2 [V] often used after as or what, where, etc. to mean 'to want', 'to choose' or 'to like' to do sth: You may stay as long as you please. * She always does exactly as she pleases. * I'm free now to live wherever I please. IDIOMS if you please 1 (old-fashioned, formal) (spoken) used when politely asking sb to do sth: Take a seat, if you please. 2 (old-fashioned, especially BrE) used to say that you are annoyed or surprised at sb's actions: And now, if you please, he wants me to rewrite the whole thing! please the eye to be very attractive to look at please God used to say that you very much hope or wish that sth will happen: Please God, don't let him be dead. please yourself (spoken) used to tell sb that you are annoyed with them and do not care what they do: 'I don't think I'll bother finishing this.' 'Please yourself.' please yourself