1
as in gesture
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 joke
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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pleasantry
Clark reciprocated pleasantries, though nothing was more eye-catching than her 3-point barrage late in the first quarter.
—
Ben Pickman, New York Times, 15 June 2025
Backstage, Nikki Bella shared pleasantries with Natalya, Maxxine Dupri and Iyo Sky.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
These pleasantries, while seemingly benign, take extra processing power, increasing electricity use and, ultimately, expense.
—William Arruda, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
That pleasantry starts to end on June 8, 2014, when Resy launches itself against the ramparts of the OpenTable juggernaut and the reservation-platform wars began.
—New York Times, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pleasantry
Ben Pickman, New York Times, 15 June 2025
Backstage, Nikki Bella shared pleasantries with Natalya, Maxxine Dupri and Iyo Sky.
—Alfred Konuwa, Forbes.com, 9 June 2025
These pleasantries, while seemingly benign, take extra processing power, increasing electricity use and, ultimately, expense.
—William Arruda, Forbes.com, 11 May 2025
That pleasantry starts to end on June 8, 2014, when Resy launches itself against the ramparts of the OpenTable juggernaut and the reservation-platform wars began.
—New York Times, 7 May 2025
See All Example Sentences for pleasantry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantry
Noun
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In an unprecedented diplomatic gesture, the United Kingdom’s royal family will welcome President Donald Trump for a second state visit this fall.—
Brendan Rascius
July 14,
Miami Herald,
14 July 2025
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Witnesses described two identical incidents in which a man approached two children, ages 4 and 6, and made inappropriate gestures at them before being chased away by witnesses, police said.—
Jason Green,
Mercury News,
12 July 2025
Noun
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The Republican governor even poked a light joke at the energy surrounding the teams during his opening remarks.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
11 July 2025
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Sriram peppers her debut with offbeat characters, sometimes giving them names that are jokes in and of themselves.—
Murtada Elfadl,
Variety,
11 July 2025
Noun
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Its roots are Cuban, with its impeccable production — courtesy of husband Emilio Estefan Jr. — bringing yesterday and today to the forefront through the voice of Latin music’s original groundbreaking diva.—
Leila Cobo,
Billboard,
18 July 2025
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The documentary features historic film footage of America’s first female soldiers courtesy of the National Archives and rare photos from family archives.—
Linda Mcintosh,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
18 July 2025
Noun
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During the day out, the two took a dip in the pool and appeared to share laughs throughout the day.—
Starr Bowenbank,
People.com,
11 July 2025
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The two had several tough plays against one another, and shared plenty of laughs on the court.—
Ryan Morik,
FOXNews.com,
11 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pleasantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantry. Accessed 23 Jul. 2025.
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