Thesaurus results for PLEASANTRY

pleasantry

noun

ˈple-zᵊn-trē

Definition of pleasantry next

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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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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Examples of pleasantry in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The men went to their place onstage without pleasantries beforehand. —

The Arizona Republic, 27 June 2024 The Klansmen returned his canvases too, this time in play-school pinks and blues, performing pleasantries instead of barbarities: driving, smoking, socializing and — tellingly — painting at easels. —

Walker Mimms, New York Times, 4 June 2024 The priest at first offers her pleasantries and aphorisms about dealing with suffering, but after listening to her agony, his affect changes. —

Alissa Wilkinson, New York Times, 11 May 2024 Ariana refuses to make eye contact with Sandoval but Dan engages as Sandoval attempts to exchange pleasantries. —

Krystie Lee Yandoli, Rolling Stone, 7 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for pleasantry

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pleasantry.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.