1
as in courtesies
an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners
"how are you" is merely a social pleasantry
Synonyms & Similar Words
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2
as in jokes
something said or done to cause laughter
his after-dinner speeches usually include the sort of gentle pleasantry that raises a chuckle
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Recent Examples of pleasantries
While most were silent, the few who traded muted pleasantries hushed as the homeowners of the Silver Court Trailer Park commenced their meeting.
—
Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The two fellow Arkansas natives exchanged pleasantries for about three minutes before heading to lunch at the Cowboys’ in-house restaurant.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026
After Frankel stuffed Stacey on a point-blank shot from the slot due to a Boston turnover, Stacey engaged in pleasantries with a pile of Fleet sweaters in front of the blue paint.
—Jason Cooke, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
The All-Star walked from the end of the bench to near midcourt to flag down his coach and remind Bickerstaff that the Detroit Pistons had no interest in exchanging postgame pleasantries with the Charlotte Hornets after their 118-100 blowout win.
—Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Flagg and James exchanged pleasantries before and after the game, shaking hands twice on the court.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 5 Apr. 2026
Despite the intensity on the court, Staley and Auriemma have typically exchanged public pleasantries, complimenting each others' successes and importance to the women's game.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
The staff isn't particularly happy, helpful, or welcoming; after all, who has time for pleasantries when you're slammed all day?
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
After some awkward pleasantries, a single white envelope containing deal terms was slid across the table.
—Matthew Herper, STAT, 25 Mar. 2026
Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 24 Apr. 2026
The two fellow Arkansas natives exchanged pleasantries for about three minutes before heading to lunch at the Cowboys’ in-house restaurant.
—Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 23 Apr. 2026
After Frankel stuffed Stacey on a point-blank shot from the slot due to a Boston turnover, Stacey engaged in pleasantries with a pile of Fleet sweaters in front of the blue paint.
—Jason Cooke, Boston Herald, 12 Apr. 2026
The All-Star walked from the end of the bench to near midcourt to flag down his coach and remind Bickerstaff that the Detroit Pistons had no interest in exchanging postgame pleasantries with the Charlotte Hornets after their 118-100 blowout win.
—Hunter Patterson, New York Times, 11 Apr. 2026
Flagg and James exchanged pleasantries before and after the game, shaking hands twice on the court.
—Mike Curtis, Dallas Morning News, 5 Apr. 2026
Despite the intensity on the court, Staley and Auriemma have typically exchanged public pleasantries, complimenting each others' successes and importance to the women's game.
—ABC News, 4 Apr. 2026
The staff isn't particularly happy, helpful, or welcoming; after all, who has time for pleasantries when you're slammed all day?
—Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 31 Mar. 2026
After some awkward pleasantries, a single white envelope containing deal terms was slid across the table.
—Matthew Herper, STAT, 25 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantries
Noun
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Small courtesies keep big efforts moving forward.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
15 Mar. 2026
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With both courtesies and catastrophes refusing to conform, the canton’s school board, publishers, and clergy were forced to produce multiple editions of primers, textbooks, and catechisms; sometimes five parallel print runs were needed for a population the size of a town.—
Simon Akam,
New Yorker,
1 Dec. 2025
Noun
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One of his jokes in particular has drawn new attention, given the shooting incident at the dinner on Saturday, forcing the Secret Service to rush the Trumps and other administration officials from the dais and other seats near the stage.—
Ted Johnson,
Deadline,
27 Apr. 2026
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Kimmel delivered the jokes about the first lady at a special version of his show that included his version of a fake monologue for the WHCD.—
Dave Goldiner,
New York Daily News,
27 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The show gestures at the classic targets of old-timey sexism, small-mindedness, and nativism—much of it embodied by Gasteyer’s scheming character—but only in the safest possible ways.—
Jackson McHenry,
Vulture,
21 Apr. 2026
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Such gestures have not stopped local lawmakers from considering statewide bans on data center development.—
Jeremy Hsu,
ArsTechnica,
17 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Some of the masterminds behind NBC‘s Saturday Night Live Season 51 brought the laughs all the way from Studio 8H to the DGA Theater to break down the process behind keeping the iconic sketch comedy engine running after more than five decades for Deadline Contenders TV.—
Katie Campione,
Deadline,
25 Apr. 2026
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Their laughs and chatter fill the countryside and one another’s hearts, the merriment binding them all together like caterpillars in one big cocoon.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Barry Diller was full of wisecracks tonight at the PGA Awards.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
28 Feb. 2026
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Chock-full of laugh-out-loud quips and wisecracks, Susan Sarandon, Christine Baranski and Cheryl Hines also join in on the fun in the boisterous 2017 sequel to the 2016 original Bad Moms.—
Lydia Price,
PEOPLE,
23 Dec. 2025
Noun
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Wishing you all a week of giggles, group projects, and—yes—solidarity.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
10 Apr. 2026
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Actually, the mere mention of Millender brings smiles and giggles from his teammates.—
Dom Amore,
Hartford Courant,
5 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The initial experience of Shakespeare’s meter leads to a world of discovery of a man who quite literally changed the world with witticisms and insight and has shaped every corner of humanity since the 16th century.—
David John Chávez,
Mercury News,
4 Feb. 2026
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During Bloomberg’s pursuit of office, a 1990 booklet in which business colleagues had compiled his witticisms surfaced.—
Molly Fischer,
New Yorker,
1 Jan. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleasantries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantries. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.
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