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

• amenity
• attention
• civility
• courtesy
• formality
• gesture
• politeness

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

Clark reciprocated pleasantries, though nothing was more eye-catching than her 3-point barrage late in the first quarter. —Ben Pickman, New York Times, 15 June 2025

Backstage, Nikki Bella shared pleasantries with Natalya, Maxxine Dupri and Iyo Sky. —Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025

These pleasantries, while seemingly benign, take extra processing power, increasing electricity use and, ultimately, expense. —William Arruda, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025

That pleasantry starts to end on June 8, 2014, when Resy launches itself against the ramparts of the OpenTable juggernaut and the reservation-platform wars began. —New York Times, 7 May 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