as in nicely
in a pleasing way
we were pleasantly surprised by their offer to put us up for the night
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Recent Examples of pleasantly
The high heat accentuates the natural sweetness of the onions and still gives them that pleasantly toasty and golden color and texture, just with a little less fuss than caramelizing onions on a stovetop, which requires regular stirring.
—
Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2026
Who Loves the Sun follows the Oklahoma noise-rockers’ 2024 LP Cool World and last year’s pleasantly unexpected Hayden Pedigo collab album In the Earth Again.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
In fact, according to Moore, Hawaii’s legislators borrowed the language for their bill from Montana’s ballot measure and sped it through their legislative process, pleasantly surprising advocates.
—Sonali Kolhatkar, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2026
Watercress curled like a dragon’s tail through a broth infused with the pleasantly medical earthiness of chuan bei, an herb in the lily family known to help stem a cough.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
You might be pleasantly surprised by how strong your son is.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Expect brisk mornings and evenings with pleasantly warm, often sunny afternoons that set the stage for activities like rafting, hiking, or wildlife spotting.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2026
On the palate, the whiskey delivers a medium-to-full-bodied texture with a pleasantly oily mouthfeel that coats the tongue without feeling heavy.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Impressively, Guimaraes also rediscovered the goal-scoring touch which pleasantly surprised Newcastle staff during his first half-season.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 11 June 2026
Who Loves the Sun follows the Oklahoma noise-rockers’ 2024 LP Cool World and last year’s pleasantly unexpected Hayden Pedigo collab album In the Earth Again.
—Jazz Monroe, Pitchfork, 9 June 2026
In fact, according to Moore, Hawaii’s legislators borrowed the language for their bill from Montana’s ballot measure and sped it through their legislative process, pleasantly surprising advocates.
—Sonali Kolhatkar, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 June 2026
Watercress curled like a dragon’s tail through a broth infused with the pleasantly medical earthiness of chuan bei, an herb in the lily family known to help stem a cough.
—Bill Addison, Los Angeles Times, 4 June 2026
You might be pleasantly surprised by how strong your son is.
—Harriette Cole, Mercury News, 3 June 2026
Expect brisk mornings and evenings with pleasantly warm, often sunny afternoons that set the stage for activities like rafting, hiking, or wildlife spotting.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 3 June 2026
On the palate, the whiskey delivers a medium-to-full-bodied texture with a pleasantly oily mouthfeel that coats the tongue without feeling heavy.
—Joseph V Micallef, Forbes.com, 30 May 2026
Impressively, Guimaraes also rediscovered the goal-scoring touch which pleasantly surprised Newcastle staff during his first half-season.
—Chris Waugh, New York Times, 29 May 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantly
Adverb
-
Optimizing that tuning, called model calibration, is a process that machine learning can fit into nicely.—
ArsTechnica,
ArsTechnica,
8 June 2026
-
The garden actually is a place for children, and this art plays nicely to a younger audience.—
Ray Mark Rinaldi,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
Adverb
-
An offshoot of the popular podcast that actor-comedians Matt Rogers and Bowen Yang have hosted since 2016, the award show aims to celebrate the year’s biggest pop culture moments and plays like a fever dream more dazzling and deliciously random than a late-night scroll session on TikTok.—
Senior Television,
Los Angeles Times,
11 June 2026
-
What follows is a deliciously demented cat-and-mouse game between Sky and Dennis.—
Erin Qualey,
Vulture,
10 June 2026
Adverb
-
Even the logistics feel delightfully analog.—
Arati Menon,
Condé Nast Traveler,
7 June 2026
-
Around 4,500 hospitality meals are served each day, along with a delightfully English 12,000 scones (half fruit, half plain) and another 12,000 tea cakes per Test.—
Nick Miller,
New York Times,
5 June 2026
Adverb
-
Well, Lila's off doing great now.—
Dana Feldman,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
These same resentments likely erupted in the murder of Clapham and in the solidarity a great many local people felt with the Panis woman.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Adverb
-
To that end, here’s a selection of the best (and most enjoyably bad) literary film and TV coming to streaming services this month.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
There’s one enjoyably oddball visual when Passenger Man disrupts a cozy projector-and-canopy movie night in the forest and suddenly the faces of Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn are on trees everywhere as mayhem ensues.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
Adverb
-
According to sources, Thomas was asked to appear as well but ultimately decided not to participate.—
Joe Otterson,
Variety,
12 June 2026
-
However, the unselfish captain has led MLS in assists so far, which may still bode well for South Korea.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
12 June 2026
Adverb
-
The siblings are heartachingly real, and minor characters are finely drawn.—
The Know,
Denver Post,
7 June 2026
-
These finely ground powders are applied directly onto an ant hill and are especially advantageous for eliminating ant hills in hard-to-reach cracks and crevices, Smith says.—
Cori Sears,
The Spruce,
4 June 2026
Adverb
-
Settling the score, meanwhile, is Randy Newman, whose fourth Pixar collaboration ambles along agreeably, accompanied by drivin’ tunes performed by Rascal Flatts, Sheryl Crow and Brad Paisley that are perfect for coasting along those alternate routes.—
Michael Rechtshaffen,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2026
-
To that end, the writer-director, Chandler Levack, establishes an agreeably slapdash attitude of hedonistic adventure, one that’s often intentionally borderline cringe.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleasantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantly. Accessed 15 Jun. 2026.
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