as in nicely
in a pleasing way
we were pleasantly surprised by their offer to put us up for the night
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pleasantly
Despite the glamorous nature of their lives under the spotlight, Hadid and Cooper met under pleasantly ordinary circumstances — at a backyard birthday party for a mutual friend’s child.
—
Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
The flavor is pleasantly real thanks to using real ground vanilla beans.
—Olivia Tarantino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Oct. 2025
Each slice is packed with toasty nuts, adding a pleasantly savory, salty note that balances out the syrupy filling.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
The animals are rendered serviceably, with generically cute faces and pleasantly detailed if sometimes implausible textures.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Plus, Glamour editors have been pleasantly surprised by the brand’s quality, especially at this price point.
—India Roby, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Most of Ohio is forecasted to have pleasantly warm daytime temperatures and cool evenings this weekend.
—Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Sep. 2025
McLachlan remembers, noting how the rest of the Lilith headliners were pleasantly taken aback.
—Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
After eating the berry and taking another sip, the same drink suddenly tastes different, with the rim’s citrus tang softening into a cocktail that's pleasantly sweet with notes of berry.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Desiree Anello, PEOPLE, 11 Oct. 2025
The flavor is pleasantly real thanks to using real ground vanilla beans.
—Olivia Tarantino, Bon Appetit Magazine, 8 Oct. 2025
Each slice is packed with toasty nuts, adding a pleasantly savory, salty note that balances out the syrupy filling.
—Lisa Cericola, Southern Living, 4 Oct. 2025
The animals are rendered serviceably, with generically cute faces and pleasantly detailed if sometimes implausible textures.
—Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 1 Oct. 2025
Plus, Glamour editors have been pleasantly surprised by the brand’s quality, especially at this price point.
—India Roby, Glamour, 1 Oct. 2025
Most of Ohio is forecasted to have pleasantly warm daytime temperatures and cool evenings this weekend.
—Mariyam Muhammad, Cincinnati Enquirer, 26 Sep. 2025
McLachlan remembers, noting how the rest of the Lilith headliners were pleasantly taken aback.
—Rachel Brodsky, Rolling Stone, 19 Sep. 2025
After eating the berry and taking another sip, the same drink suddenly tastes different, with the rim’s citrus tang softening into a cocktail that's pleasantly sweet with notes of berry.
—Roger Sands, Forbes.com, 15 Sep. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantly
Adverb
-
Hawke sells all of Hart’s delusions, destructive impulses, and high-velocity downward spirals with an energy that keeps this bitchy, old-school collection of bon mots and screwball bickering moving along nicely.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
15 Oct. 2025
-
The finished dish is buttery, super-savory, nicely glazed, and irresistible.—
Ann Taylor Pittman,
Southern Living,
15 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
They’re filled with gooey peanut butter chips, chocolate chips, and crunchy walnuts, mixed together in a deliciously chewy oat batter.—
Sophia Beams,
Better Homes & Gardens,
11 Oct. 2025
-
That of the vampy, endlessly ambitious, and deliciously ruthless weather presenter Suzanne Stone, who plots to knock off her husband (Matt Dillon) in Gus Van Sant’s satirical romp.—
Radhika Seth,
Vogue,
8 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
There are also two new delightfully cute additions to the collection — a shiny gold pair that would look radiant on warm-tone complexions and a pair that’s as stylishly macabre as the others, only smaller in size.—
Alyssa Grabinski,
PEOPLE,
11 Oct. 2025
-
This is delightfully illustrated in Raymond Queneau’s Exercises In Style, which tells the same short and simple story ninety-nine different ways.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
8 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The audience also erupted each time Leonard scored; the Aztecs great finished with a team-high 18 points.—
Kyle Kensing,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
10 Oct. 2025
-
Full-bodied varieties like Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot, or Zinfandel work great here, gently heated with orange slices, cinnamon sticks, whole cloves, and star anise along with a touch of brandy or Cointreau and a bit of honey, agave, or maple syrup.—
Essence,
Essence,
29 Sep. 2025
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
September 30,
Literary Hub,
30 Sep. 2025
-
While Atom is trying to manipulate Hermit into becoming the eyeball monster’s new human host, Joe first hides in a cage — in one of the episode’s most enjoyably scary scenes — before Wendy comes to her brother’s rescue, using her machine-controlling superpowers to stop Atom cold.—
Noel Murray,
Vulture,
24 Sep. 2025
Adverb
-
That blend has endeared Weiss to readers and power players in Los Angeles, where her friendship with A-List celebrities and media moguls has been well documented.—
Max Tani,
semafor.com,
13 Oct. 2025
-
The Cowboys’ passing offense performed well once again, as Dak Prescott and George Pickens connected for a lethal attack, although the run game could not find any momentum with just 31 yards on the day.—
Nick Harris,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
Pulse cranberries in a food processor until finely chopped but not puréed; set aside.—
Cathy Thomas,
Oc Register,
13 Oct. 2025
-
Oman held Qatar to a 0-0 draw in Doha on Wednesday to keep Group A finely poised ahead of a return to the Qatari capital to face the United Arab Emirates, who don’t play the group hosts until Tuesday.—
Jack Bantock,
New York Times,
10 Oct. 2025
Adverb
-
The boy presenter nods agreeably.—
Rivka Galchen,
New Yorker,
21 Sep. 2025
-
But despite Harrelson and Marsden’s agreeably give-’em-hell performances, Shock and Awe suffers in comparison not just to All the President’s Men but to 2017’s The Post.—
Will Leitch,
Vulture,
13 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pleasantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantly. Accessed 17 Oct. 2025.
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