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
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pleasantries
Mariano said of a scene in the first episode, in which newcomers made out with contestants immediately upon entering the villa without exchanging pleasantries.
—
Kimi Robinson,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
The Reynas and Berhalters, who grew up together and were in each other’s weddings, still might not be exchanging pleasantries or Christmas cards.
—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2026
Further, a separate gesture from De Paul that appeared antagonistic toward those supporters went uncaptured, as did Messi’s post-game maneuver to round up De Paul and Suarez, keeping them away explicitly from La Familia’s side of the stadium during post-game pleasantries.
—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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
Kimi Robinson,
USA Today,
26 June 2026
The Reynas and Berhalters, who grew up together and were in each other’s weddings, still might not be exchanging pleasantries or Christmas cards.
—
Mark Zeigler,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
23 June 2026
Further, a separate gesture from De Paul that appeared antagonistic toward those supporters went uncaptured, as did Messi’s post-game maneuver to round up De Paul and Suarez, keeping them away explicitly from La Familia’s side of the stadium during post-game pleasantries.
—
Ian Nicholas Quillen,
Forbes.com,
22 May 2026
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
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantries
Noun
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Small courtesies keep big efforts moving forward.
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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.
Noun
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The pro‑government newspaper Sabah said dozens of viewers were offended by jokes on religion and filed complaints, prompting the investigation.
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Slides, jokes and the occasional embarrassing photo are fair game.
Noun
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Good Lock is Samsung’s official app for deep customisation, lock screens, themes, gestures, and more, and LockStar is the module specifically for lock screen and always-on display tinkering.
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In the afternoon, the moon will make an opposition to Venus in Leo, which is where gestures or our desire for affection become more complicated.
Noun
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This was an era in which a still-unknown Brooks would show up late to the writer’s room—a habit that drove his colleagues nuts—and then get the biggest laughs out of them anyway.
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The laughs never stop coming, and in a season that will reward originals and adaptations alike, this is the writing voters will remember when casting their ballots in January.
Noun
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His wisecracks were kept to a minimum.
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Barry Diller was full of wisecracks tonight at the PGA Awards.
Noun
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Admittedly, Carmy is not exactly a bucket of giggles in this episode, or, really, in any episode.
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These giggles evolved to best suit animals’ different social lives, said Brittany Florkiewicz, who studies animal communication at Lyon College and had no role in the new research.
Noun
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The result is an incredible repository of vexations, bafflements, witticisms, and brilliancies.
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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.
Cite this Entry
“Pleasantries.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantries. Accessed 6 Jul. 2026.
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