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
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
See All Example Sentences for pleasantry
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
See All Example Sentences for pleasantry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantry
Noun
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My background as an art historian pushed me to consider that there might be an understanding of a collective experience in that idiosyncratic gesture I’d made.—
Lilyanna D'Amato,
ARTnews.com,
26 Apr. 2026
-
These gestures are shaped by a mix of influencer aesthetics and pop culture.—
Rachel Hale,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Noun
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These headwinds, together with Spirit’s ongoing reputational challenges like being the target of jokes by late-night hosts and prominent press coverage of its two brushes with bankruptcy, likely account for Spirit’s satisfaction decline.—
Zach Wichter,
USA Today,
23 Apr. 2026
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As anachronisms constantly threaten to puncture the illusion, the cast stays wry, nimble and self-conscious in order to locate plot points and jokes that reinforce the golden-age radio setting, scribbling notes and introducing characters that propel them through ludicrous narrative arcs.—
John Wenzel,
Denver Post,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Photograph courtesy Larysa Khodymchuk Nataliia had made many visits to Chernobyl over the years.—
Lizzie Johnson,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
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JetBlue said customers with disabilities will still be invited to pre-board, while active military members and those traveling with car seats or strollers will be offered courtesy boarding.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Their laughs and chatter fill the countryside and one another’s hearts, the merriment binding them all together like caterpillars in one big cocoon.—
Brian Moylan,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2026
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Over Your Dead Body knows that sustaining a harmonious union amid petty jealousies, paranoia, and personal flaws is hard; navigating a hostage situation involving desperate sickos and sociopaths is even harder; and maintaining a balance of laughs and gag-reflex tweaking is the hardest of it all.—
David Fear,
Rolling Stone,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
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Here opposites — classy and brassy — are distractions, with odd-couple joking substituting for something more substantial.—
Frank Rizzo,
Variety,
23 Apr. 2026
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There was none of the usual laughing and joking.—
Mario Cortegana,
New York Times,
20 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleasantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantry. Accessed 28 Apr. 2026.
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