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
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Recent Examples of pleasantries
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
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
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
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
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
-
The jokes — good, bad and cheap — come non-stop in then show’s 90 minutes, and are filled and sometimes pummeled with pop culture and brand-name references, puns, anachronistic humor, and naughty bits.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
13 Apr. 2026
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Whitehall’s opening monologue included jokes about his upcoming wedding (to model partner Roxy Horner), largely lamenting the cost and need to socialize with so many people.—
Max Goldbart,
Deadline,
13 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
His few lines of dialogue have a power that far exceeds their word count, but what speaks for Jeremy most of the time are his physical gestures, which blend blank detachment with willful ferocity.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
12 Apr. 2026
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There is also a thoughtful kind of affection in the air that is less about grand gestures and more about shared understanding.—
Georgia Nichols,
Dallas Morning News,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
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The laughs come fast and furious, too, on a relentless rhythm with an astonishing hit rate.—
Dave Quinn,
PEOPLE,
13 Apr. 2026
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Jane tries to give it a bit of meta humor, milking laughs from throwing money at Juicy and doing little jazz hands.—
Jason P. Frank,
Vulture,
11 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
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 16 Apr. 2026.
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