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pleasantly

adverb

Definition of pleasantlynext
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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pleasantly September, despite a few days peaking into the triple digits, has been pleasantly mild so far across Central California, and that pattern is not going anywhere anytime soon. — Sean MacAday, Sacbee.com, 18 Sep. 2026 With the help of some strategic accessories, plus a few creative styling tips, prepare to be pleasantly surprised. — Aemilia Madden, Glamour, 18 Sep. 2026 There’s no process to prepare for, no interview to walk into, no chance to be pleasantly surprised. — Asmaa Alkuwari, Forbes.com, 18 Sep. 2026 The interface is still pleasantly simple, even after replacing the WYSIWYG editor with a block editor. — Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 14 Sep. 2026 The Winny sneakers have also proved easy to wipe clean, pleasantly lightweight, and flexible enough to move with me without feeling flimsy. — Annie Blackman, InStyle, 12 Sep. 2026 Say it pleasantly, so as not to suggest the need for sympathy. — Judith Martin, Mercury News, 8 Sep. 2026 Her Veggie Club Sandwich promises to keep you pleasantly full while supplying a meal’s worth of veggies between three slices of bread. — The Bon Appétit Staff, Bon Appetit Magazine, 4 Sep. 2026 Neither of them lives full-time in New York anymore; Kessler spends much of his time in Barcelona, and Banks is pleasantly ensconced in Berlin with his wife and two young children. — Simon Vozick-Levinson, Rolling Stone, 2 Sep. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantly
  1. nicely
  2. deliciously
  3. delightfully
  4. great
  5. enjoyably
  6. well
  7. finely
  8. agreeably
Adverb
  • The legacy guest cast appearances, from Jada Pinkett Smith to Glynn Turman, are nicely spread throughout the entirety of the series.
    — Brande Victorian, HollywoodReporter, 24 Sep. 2026
  • Add the panko and cook, stirring frequently for 3 minutes, or until nicely browned.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 23 Sep. 2026
Definition of nicely
Adverb
  • The s’mores cookie warms up deliciously, the chocolate and marshmallow getting perfectly gooey, with the graham cracker in the center adding texture to the bite, while the strawberry Nutella cookie has a wonderfully decadent and rich Nutella center.
    — Kayla Samoy, Chicago Tribune, 23 Sep. 2026
  • That joke, which McNamara hits with a palpable sparkle of smugness, illustrates how deliciously blunt her comedic sensibility is.
    — Kathryn VanArendonk, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of deliciously
Adverb
  • Remm’s take on Levantine food, helmed by chef Nadav Greenberg, however, comes as a delightfully light surprise.
    — Clara Molot, Vanity Fair, 24 Sep. 2026
  • The Piedras Blancas Elephant Seal Rookery (7 miles north of San Simeon) remains full of massive, delightfully noisy beasts.
    — David G. Allan, CNN Money, 22 Sep. 2026
Definition of delightfully
Adverb
  • Last year for my birthday, two of my closest friends gifted me this beautiful Bellocchi casserole, which worked great alongside the yellows and greens of the sunflowers as an unconventional but perfect salad bowl.
    — Elly Leavitt, Vogue, 18 Sep. 2026
  • To this end, Ochs is offering some great-looking, sexy dresses and going-out tops for spring.
    — Lisa Lockwood, Footwear News, 14 Sep. 2026
Definition of great
Adverb
  • The Hunting Wives, season two The enjoyably ridiculous sapphic drama starring Malin Akerman and Brittany Snow will bring back most of the cast with several big additions, including John Stamos, Dale Dickey, and WNBA All-Star Angel Reese.
    — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 10 Sep. 2026
  • The extremely soapy, enjoyably satirical true-life drama chronicles love, rampant betrayal and a brazen murder plot through three decades of the iconic Gucci fashion house.
    — Brian Truitt, USA Today, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of enjoyably
Adverb
  • The Lake of Dreams show still feels like an oddly charming fever dream—projections, puppetry, and music best experienced from SW, Lakeside, or the aft-deck fantasy bar literally called Aft.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Thanks to its premium plant-wax blend and 100 percent natural-fiber wick, the best-selling candle burns cleanly and evenly for up to 150 hours.
    — Toni Sutton, PEOPLE, 28 Sep. 2026
Definition of well
Adverb
  • That friction, between floppy and finely made, sits at the heart of Esh’s ever-evolving vision for his namesake label.
    — Tianwei Zhang, Footwear News, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The characters around Alex and Ruari are less finely shaded, some for the better and some for the worse.
    — Angie Han, HollywoodReporter, 18 Sep. 2026
Definition of finely
Adverb
  • Football is in his rearview mirror, and this new life goes down agreeably, like one of the smoothies.
    — Dom Amore, Hartford Courant, 6 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of agreeably

Browse Nearby Words

pleasant
pleasantly
pleasantness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pleasantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantly. Accessed 29 Sep. 2026.

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