pleasantry

noun

pleas·​ant·​ry ˈple-zᵊn-trē 

plural pleasantries

1

: a humorous act or remark : jest

2

: an agreeable playfulness in conversation : banter

3

: a polite social remark

exchanged pleasantries

Synonyms

• gesture
• courtesy

Examples of pleasantry in a Sentence

“how are you” is merely a social pleasantry

his after-dinner speeches usually include the sort of gentle pleasantry that raises a chuckle

Recent Examples on the Web

Bryson DeChambeau and Tommy Fleetwood got into it on the 15th green, as caddies also began to share pleasantries following Justin Rose lining up a putt. —Ryan Morik, FOXNews.com, 27 Sep. 2025

Lola Young isn’t one for pleasantries. —Maura Johnston, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025

Food and merchandise are also in the offing The grounds also serve up pleasantries as part of the package of events. —Jim Riccioli, jsonline.com, 18 Sep. 2025

Oregon-Northwestern and USC-Purdue officially kicked off the Big Ten’s conference schedule on Saturday, but things really heat up around the league in Week 4, with most of the nonconference pleasantries over with and the march to Indianapolis in full swing. —Scott Dochterman, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1594, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for pleasantry

• peasantry

Kids Definition

pleasantry

noun

pleas·​ant·​ry ˈplez-ᵊn-trē 

plural pleasantries

1

: agreeable playfulness in conversation

2

a

: a humorous act or speech

b

: a light or casual polite remark