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 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
The Fire Dogs and Law Hogs were united as one before kickoff, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 2026
Usha Vance, the nation's second lady and wife of Vice President JD Vance, has spent her family's first year in office familiarizing herself with the pitfalls and pleasantries of public service.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
After Harris and Shapiro sat down, in a dining room that had been cleared of most furniture other than two chairs and a table, there was little in the way of small talk or pleasantries.
—Toluse Olorunnipa, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Beyond the system’s superficial tone and pleasantries, Martin and Souza had to contend with the serious issue of hallucinations, or instances in which AI systems confidently share false or exaggerated information.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 3 Jan. 2026
At the end of the day, as my family shared pictures and pleasantries from our morning together, the group text really just wanted the casserole recipe.
—Brennan Long, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
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
The Fire Dogs and Law Hogs were united as one before kickoff, shaking hands and exchanging pleasantries.
—Joe Davidson, Sacbee.com, 1 Feb. 2026
Usha Vance, the nation's second lady and wife of Vice President JD Vance, has spent her family's first year in office familiarizing herself with the pitfalls and pleasantries of public service.
—Jay Stahl, USA Today, 20 Jan. 2026
After Harris and Shapiro sat down, in a dining room that had been cleared of most furniture other than two chairs and a table, there was little in the way of small talk or pleasantries.
—Toluse Olorunnipa, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026
Beyond the system’s superficial tone and pleasantries, Martin and Souza had to contend with the serious issue of hallucinations, or instances in which AI systems confidently share false or exaggerated information.
—Jared Perlo, NBC news, 3 Jan. 2026
At the end of the day, as my family shared pictures and pleasantries from our morning together, the group text really just wanted the casserole recipe.
—Brennan Long, Southern Living, 21 Dec. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantries
Noun
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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
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Leonora measures out her days in courtesies and slights, the former dominating the beginning of the book, the latter rapidly gaining ground.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
15 Sep. 2025
Noun
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Gross-out jokes don’t always play well for a broad crowd that often includes families and kids.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
8 Feb. 2026
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Melania also recently made headlines in a new way when distributor Amazon MGM asked a theater in Oregon to stop screening the film due to some viral jokes on its marquee.—
James Hibberd,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Under the hood, Sprout uses a highly articulated body with 29 degrees of freedom to support smooth movement and expressive gestures.—
Kurt Knutsson,
FOXNews.com,
10 Feb. 2026
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That puts much more pressure to perform on Valentine's Day, whether through big gestures or gifts.—
Wendy Wisner,
Parents,
10 Feb. 2026
Noun
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His teams won five College World Series titles — three at Fullerton and two at Texas — and left an enduring impact of triumph with some stumbles and plenty of laughs along the way.—
Cedric Golden,
Austin American Statesman,
6 Feb. 2026
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There are plenty of laughs along the way, but the most powerful moment lands midway through the show.—
Ross Raihala,
Twin Cities,
6 Feb. 2026
Noun
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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
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Boys in blue training kits gather in pockets of shade and trade wisecracks.—
Jack Lang,
New York Times,
19 Aug. 2025
Noun
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The weekly gatherings of knitters at Needle & Skein, a yarn store in Minneapolis, are typically filled with giggles and storytelling.—
Ava Berger,
NPR,
31 Jan. 2026
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On Tuesday morning, the Oscar winner ended her Today interview with host Craig Melvin in giggles after making a simple mistake, confusing one TV network for another.—
Shania Russell,
Entertainment Weekly,
6 Jan. 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 13 Feb. 2026.
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