Meaning & use
people pleaser
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Meaning
nouncountableinformal
Someone who tries very hard to make others happy, often by agreeing with them or avoiding disagreement, even at their own cost.
Grammar: Takes a: she is a people pleaser. The plural is people pleasers.
Patterns
- be a people pleaser
Ben is a people pleaser and never says no to extra work.
As a recovering people pleaser, she is learning to set boundaries.
Being a people pleaser left her too tired to relax.
Word forms
| plural | people pleasers |
|---|
Common combinations
- a natural people pleaser
- He is a natural people pleaser who hates conflict.
- recovering people pleaser
- As a recovering people pleaser, she now says no more often.
- stop being a people pleaser
- It took years to stop being a people pleaser at work.
- people-pleaser tendencies
- Her people-pleaser tendencies made her agree to every request.
- chronic people pleaser
- A chronic people pleaser may feel guilty when refusing.
Synonyms and how they differ
- pushover
- Is more critical and means someone easily persuaded or dominated, without the idea of wanting to be liked.
- yes-man
- Is usually a man who agrees with a boss to gain favor, so it is mainly about flattering authority.
- doormat
- Is an insult for someone who lets others treat them badly, so it is harsher than people pleaser.
- appeaser
- Is formal and often used for giving in to avoid conflict, especially in politics.
Opposites
Word family
- people-pleasing noun
- the habit of trying to make everyone happy
- please verb
- to make someone feel happy or satisfied
- pleaser noun
- one who pleases others
Commonly confused: people pleaser or crowd pleaser?
people pleaser vs crowd pleaser
A crowd pleaser is something popular with audiences, such as a song; a people pleaser is a person who avoids disappointing others.
Practice
Lena always agrees to cover other people's shifts, even when she is exhausted. She is a classic ____.
Choose one answer.
Someone who puts others' wishes ahead of their own is a people pleaser. A perfectionist wants flawless work, which is a different trait.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “people pleaser”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.