Meaning & use
worldly pleasures
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Meanings
phraseplural
Enjoyable physical things and activities that belong to ordinary life, such as good food, comfort, and luxury, rather than to spiritual or intellectual matters.
Grammar: Used as a plural noun phrase; it takes a plural verb: 'Worldly pleasures are...'
Patterns
- the worldly pleasures of something
- give up worldly pleasures
- seek worldly pleasures
After years of chasing worldly pleasures, he decided to live a simpler life.
The novel describes a monk who struggles to resist the worldly pleasures of the city.
For her, worldly pleasures like fine wine and silk dresses were not worth the cost.
phrasepluraldisapproving
The enjoyable parts of life that are not religious or spiritual, often considered as a group that distracts people from higher goals.
Grammar: Often used with a disapproving or moralizing tone, especially in religious contexts.
Patterns
- renounce worldly pleasures
- worldly pleasures and material goods
The preacher warned that worldly pleasures would lead them away from God.
She gave up all worldly pleasures to devote herself to meditation.
Common combinations
- worldly pleasures of the flesh
- The story is about a saint who rejects the worldly pleasures of the flesh.
- pursue worldly pleasures
- He spent his youth pursuing worldly pleasures instead of studying.
- worldly pleasures and comforts
- They enjoyed the worldly pleasures and comforts that money could buy.
Synonyms and how they differ
- material pleasures
- This focuses on physical possessions and money, while 'worldly pleasures' can include experiences like travel or entertainment.
- earthly delights
- This is more literary and often sounds more positive or poetic than 'worldly pleasures'.
Opposites
Commonly confused: worldly pleasures or wordly pleasures?
worldly pleasures vs wordly pleasures
This is a common misspelling; the correct spelling is 'worldly' with an 'l' before the 'd'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'worldly pleasures' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Option 1 is correct because 'worldly pleasures' refers to ordinary, non-spiritual enjoyments, and giving them up fits a religious context. Option 0 is wrong because reading and praying are not typically considered worldly pleasures. Option 2 is wrong because worldly pleasures are not a spiritual practice. Option 3 is wrong because the phrase is plural, not singular.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “worldly pleasures”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.