Displeasance

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A feeling of dissatisfaction or disapproval, typically shown through one's manner or expression
2. The state of being displeased or offended, often made apparent by words or behavior
3. A display of annoyance or disfavor toward something or someone regarded as objectionable

Etymology: "Displeasance" is a rare English noun for the state of being displeased, or for an act that causes displeasure. It came into English from Old French "desplaisance", a word built on "desplaire", meaning "to displease." The French root is the same one behind "displease" itself, so the English word is essentially a fuller, more formal cousin of the verb "displease," with the noun ending "-ance" attached to the Old French stem. The pattern is a familiar one: French nouns in "-ance" were regularly formed from verbs and borrowed into English, where many survived as abstract nouns of state or action. "Displeasance" sits beside a few other formal nouns of this kind, though it never became as common as its relatives. Its lasting interest lies mostly in how neatly it shows the verb-to-noun path that English inherited from Old French.