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
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
See All Example Sentences for pleasantry
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
See All Example Sentences for pleasantry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantry
Noun
-
Balances were a recurrent problem in the Prokofiev, and, with big and often distracting gestures, Kavakos didn’t always keep up with the soloist, the DSO’s excellent concertmaster, Alexander Kerr.—
Scott Cantrell,
Dallas Morning News,
1 Mar. 2026
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The domestic gesture—cloth pegged on a line—challenges the archive’s binding, creating a visual anthology suspended in space.—
Anel Rakhimzhanova,
Artforum,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The result is chaos, and a few too many jokes about young people not knowing how to work a fax machine or manage paper.—
Culture Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
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The meta joke is that Radcliffe was a pioneer of acting opposite tennis balls.—
Eliana Dockterman,
Time,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
Genuine courtesy strengthens your reputation across all spheres.—
Tarot.com,
New York Daily News,
6 Mar. 2026
-
The show will still carry in NYC, courtesy of the Writers Guild of America East.—
Kirsten Chuba,
HollywoodReporter,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
But all is not lost for those needing a laugh at Noem’s expense, or at the expense of the department, for that matter.—
Lorraine Ali
News,
Los Angeles Times,
6 Mar. 2026
-
In the background of one verse, Yebba lets out a bellowing laugh.—
Larisha Paul,
Rolling Stone,
6 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The women’s team declined their joking invitation and had to explain comments directed at them.—
Dave Hyde,
Sun Sentinel,
28 Feb. 2026
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The tiny macaque, born on July 26, is often spotted clutching a plush toy from IKEA and has melted hearts across the internet, inspiring a wave of comments from fans half-joking about booking flights to Japan to check on him.—
Joshua Mellin,
Travel + Leisure,
27 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleasantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantry. Accessed 7 Mar. 2026.
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