people pleaser

noun

variants or less commonly people-pleaser

ˈpē-pəl-ˈplē-zər 

plural people pleasers also people-pleasers

: someone or something that pleases or wants to please people

a breed of dog that's a people pleaser

This sophisticated, nutritious salad is a real people-pleaser, and it's quite filling too.

—Brett Stewart and Corey Irwin

often : a person who has an emotional need to please others often at the expense of his or her own needs or desires

Being a people pleaser isn't all bad. It shows that you are a caring person who values social connections and enjoys making others happy.

—Samantha Boardman

people-pleasing noun

or people pleasing

… if you grew up in a home with a difficult, emotionally unavailable parent, you may have unconsciously picked up the pattern of people-pleasing in an attempt to engage the aloof parent.

—Meghan Fritz

people-pleasing adjective

people-pleasing behavior

a people-pleasing recipe

Examples of people pleaser in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

For Libras and recovering people pleasers everywhere, setting boundaries can feel like a conflict waiting to happen (a.k.a. —Anna Borges, SELF, 3 Oct. 2024

Extroverts Get Results Introverts and people pleasers were also less likely to contact billing offices than extroverts and people with less agreeable personalities, according to the study. —Lisa Rapaport, EverydayHealth.com, 3 Sep. 2024

But those who practice the art of humor agree there’s at least one unifying element among these different approaches: Comedy performers are people pleasers. —Lorraine Ali, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2024

Grande also popped into a bit about a support group for people pleasers. —Gil Kaufman, Billboard, 3 Sep. 2019

Part of the challenge being aggressive is learning to how to balance aggression with patience, but what may be even more challenging for women, because of the tendency to be people pleasers, is feeling comfortable making other people uncomfortable. —Bonnie Marcus, Forbes, 26 Feb. 2024

As people pleasers, Pisces are natural guides and have a deep desire to help others, astrologer Kesaine Walker previously told USA TODAY. —Clare Mulroy, USA TODAY, 31 Jan. 2024

But, regardless of changes over the years, events are meant to be broad people pleasers. —Jim Riccioli, Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024

A lot of parents struggle to set boundaries, especially women, because a lot of us were raised as people pleasers. —Jessica Winter, The New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2023

Word History

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined above