He was one of the 11 sons of Claude Delisle (1644 – 1720). Like many of his brothers, among them Guillaume Delisle, he initially followed classical studies. Soon however, he moved to astronomy under the supervision of Joseph Lieutaud and Jacques Cassini. He entered the French Academy of Sciences as pupil of Giovanni Domenico Maraldi (1709 – 1788). Though he was a good scientist and member of a wealthy family he did not have much money.

His life changed radically when he was called by the Russian czar Peter the Great to Saint Petersburg to create and run the school of astronomy. He arrived there only in 1726, after the death of the czar. He became quite rich and famous, to such an extent that when he returned to Paris in 1747, he built his own observatory in the palace of Cluny, later made famous by Charles Messier. Also he received the title of Astronomer from the Academy.

He was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1749.

Delisle is mostly known for the Delisle scale, a temperature scale he invented in 1732. The crater Delisle on the Moon, and the asteroid 12742 Delisle are named after him.