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 The result will pleasantly scratch the type of brain this movie was made to reach. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026 Some were only there for the restaurant River House, like David and Susan Merts, who were pleasantly surprised by the event after dinner and plan on bringing friends to the next one. — Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 7 Aug. 2026 Most people were pleasantly surprised with their attraction to the Wicker Husband and, honestly, EW can’t blame them. — Shelby Stivale, Entertainment Weekly, 7 Aug. 2026 As a side sleeper, contributor Yelena Alpert was pleasantly surprised by the Tempur-Cloud Pillow’s soft-yet-firm balancing act. — Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 4 Aug. 2026 But slightly judgmental hipster associations aside, this is a top performing cocktail shaker with a pleasantly available price tag. — Justine Sterling, Bon Appetit Magazine, 31 July 2026 The gandules hold their shape, with a bite that’s a bit firmer than a black bean, and a pleasantly farinaceous center. — Jenn Harris, Los Angeles Times, 30 July 2026 My son and father-in-law even took a reluctant bite and both were pleasantly surprised. — Joe Cermele, Outdoor Life, 29 July 2026 You could be pleasantly surprised by someone’s response to an uncomfortable situation. — Valerie Mesa, PEOPLE, 29 July 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantly
  1. nicely
  2. deliciously
  3. delightfully
  4. great
  5. enjoyably
  6. well
  7. finely
  8. agreeably
Adverb
  • Offensive notes Tommy DeVito settled in nicely after sailing some early throws.
    — Andrew Callahan, Boston Herald, 15 Aug. 2026
  • Anna’s sheer lace dress with a huge keyhole in the front and an open back is fine but also like a million other dresses; the same goes for Jude’s nicely constructed, but very familiar, black velvet dress with a corset.
    — Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 14 Aug. 2026
Definition of nicely
Adverb
  • There’s wisdom and depth to the film’s themes of growing old, dashed dreams and the magic of rediscovery, plus a deliciously ironic final twist.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 14 Aug. 2026
  • Many people would be deliciously tired after such wholesome exertion and not want to spend their evenings raking over the past with a chatty English journalist.
    — Sophie Monks Kaufman, IndieWire, 12 Aug. 2026
Definition of deliciously
Adverb
  • Faith King and Josiah Fagerstrom both deliver delightfully prickly repartee as their characters gradually manage to surpass archetype.
    — Jared Kaufman, Twin Cities, 10 Aug. 2026
  • However, when cooked properly, okra can develop a delightfully crisp and pleasant texture or be cooked until soft and melting.
    — Kirsten Nunez, Martha Stewart, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of delightfully
Adverb
  • Beyond my ultra-chic (and great-smelling) mother’s stamp of approval, the brand’s luxurious perfume portfolio has earned praise from Meghan Markle, Kate Middleton, Jennifer Aniston, and Katie Holmes, to name a few.
    — Kyra Surgent, InStyle, 12 Aug. 2026
  • But Malonga soon too will push the rebuilding Storm to future deep postseason runs like the ex-Storm great once did.
    — Fiifi Frimpong, New York Daily News, 6 Aug. 2026
Definition of great
Adverb
  • The show nonetheless takes an unexpected direction that makes for an enjoyably low-key binge.
    — Alison Herman, Variety, 7 Aug. 2026
  • Lowe used to be a member of a much larger and more popular right-wing populist party, Nigel Farage’s Reform, but he was forced out in an enjoyably catty and melodramatic schism after calling for mass deportations.
    — Helen Lewis, The Atlantic, 26 July 2026
Definition of enjoyably
Adverb
  • Reggie Bannister, the actor best known for playing the iconic ice cream man Reggie in the Phantasm horror film series, has died peacefully at his home Sunday at 80.
    — Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
  • The former Cardinals coordinator is expected to continue the under-center system with a heavy dose of play-action, a system better suited for Jared Goff than former Cardinals QB Kyler Murray.
    — Jacob Robinson, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026
Definition of well
Adverb
  • Ten years from now, the designation process should be even more finely tuned.
    — Marie Sapirie, Forbes.com, 10 Aug. 2026
  • The best type of tea to re-steep is anything that starts very potent, or features tea leaves that are on the larger, coarser side, rather than finely ground.
    — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 4 Aug. 2026
Definition of finely
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
Definition of agreeably

Browse Nearby Words

pleasant
pleasantly
pleasantness
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Cite this Entry

“Pleasantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantly. Accessed 18 Aug. 2026.

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