pleased as Punch
Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.
Sense 1
Register: colloquial, dated
Where it’s used:
Used
American English
Examples
"[…]Now,—what'll the old woman say?"
"She'll be pleased as Punch, I should think," said Stanbury.
Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30)
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 2
Meaning · English
Pleased. — Pleased with one's own actions or achievements.
Register: colloquial, dated
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Sense 3
Meaning · English
Pleased. — Pleased with one's own actions or achievements. — Smugly so.
Register: colloquial, dated
Sources & notes
Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-07-30 via kaikki.org).
Common questions
What does “pleased as Punch” mean?
Pleased.
Is “pleased as Punch” formal or informal?
pleased as Punch is generally colloquial, dated.