1
as in courtesies
an act or utterance that is a customary show of good manners
"how are you" is merely a social pleasantry
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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
Cohen reached out asking to talk, but Epstein was done with pleasantries.
—
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
After checking their badges, the police exchange pleasantries with the agents and leave.
—Ali Bauman, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
The two caught up briefly prior to tipoff, sharing an embrace and exchanging a few pleasantries before White had to get back to his pregame preparations.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 28 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, over years of random, closeted and compulsive encounters, Shane and Ilya barely exchange pleasantries during their hot, impersonal hookups, even calling each other by their last names — half bros, half hos.
—David Colman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
Accomplish any tasks that are genuinely necessary, but leave room for pleasantries and small talk too.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2026
While reporters were present, the two leaders only exchanged pleasantries.
—Michelle L. Price, Arkansas Online, 7 Feb. 2026
While where reporters were present, the two leaders only exchanged pleasantries.
—Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Once onstage, Stallone traded a few pleasantries with the mayor, Melendrez and the crowd.
—René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 2026
Eva Roytburg, Fortune, 14 Mar. 2026
After checking their badges, the police exchange pleasantries with the agents and leave.
—Ali Bauman, CBS News, 6 Mar. 2026
The two caught up briefly prior to tipoff, sharing an embrace and exchanging a few pleasantries before White had to get back to his pregame preparations.
—Roderick Boone, Charlotte Observer, 28 Feb. 2026
Meanwhile, over years of random, closeted and compulsive encounters, Shane and Ilya barely exchange pleasantries during their hot, impersonal hookups, even calling each other by their last names — half bros, half hos.
—David Colman, HollywoodReporter, 23 Feb. 2026
Accomplish any tasks that are genuinely necessary, but leave room for pleasantries and small talk too.
—Tarot.com, Baltimore Sun, 18 Feb. 2026
While reporters were present, the two leaders only exchanged pleasantries.
—Michelle L. Price, Arkansas Online, 7 Feb. 2026
While where reporters were present, the two leaders only exchanged pleasantries.
—Michelle L. Price, Chicago Tribune, 6 Feb. 2026
Once onstage, Stallone traded a few pleasantries with the mayor, Melendrez and the crowd.
—René Guzman, San Antonio Express-News, 4 Feb. 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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The text messages contained jokes about gas chambers, slavery, and rape.—
Peter Wehner,
The Atlantic,
23 Mar. 2026
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The arm measurement spawned numerous online jokes, comparing Bain’s arms to those of a Tyrannosaurus Rex, a dinosaur with short arms.—
Adam Lichtenstein,
Sun Sentinel,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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This successful integration proved that the AI could reliably translate internal tendon twitches into precise digital hand gestures across different body types.—
Mrigakshi Dixit,
Interesting Engineering,
25 Mar. 2026
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The system understands the space around the user via computer vision sensors (cameras recognize objects, surfaces, gestures); lidars accurately measure distances and build a 3D map of space; special sensors determine the shape and volume of objects.—
Connie Etemadi,
USA Today,
23 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The guys hit a Foxwoods, get some laughs, and skip back home.—
Vinson Cunningham,
New Yorker,
29 Mar. 2026
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Styled like a hyper-sexualized Powerpuff Girl, Cherry is responsible for many of the film’s biggest laughs — and some of its strangest tonal misfires.—
Alison Foreman,
IndieWire,
25 Mar. 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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The girls danced and sang to Taylor Swift blaring through speakers, their ponytails tied up with red sparkly ribbons and their small hands waving shiny pom-poms as their giggles filled the football field.—
Laylan Connelly,
Oc Register,
23 Mar. 2026
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My daughters just flew their kites from last year around our yard yesterday on a blustery March day, and the giggles were a sound and sight to treasure.—
Chaunie Brusie,
Parents,
13 Mar. 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 31 Mar. 2026.
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