1
as in gesture
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 joke
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 pleasantry
After the game officially ended, players exchanged handshakes and pleasantries.
—
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2025
Back in October, Buster Posey expressed his disdain of opposing players exchanging pleasantries before games.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Nov. 2025
Now as episode three hits the service, questions abound on the true nature of this joyous plague and the deep space transmission that caused all these annoying pleasantries.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025
The two exchanged a handshake and pleasantries before San Francisco's win over Atlanta on Sunday.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pleasantry
Matthew Couden, MSNBC Newsweek, 8 Dec. 2025
Back in October, Buster Posey expressed his disdain of opposing players exchanging pleasantries before games.
—Justice Delos Santos, Mercury News, 28 Nov. 2025
Now as episode three hits the service, questions abound on the true nature of this joyous plague and the deep space transmission that caused all these annoying pleasantries.
—Jeff Spry, Space.com, 14 Nov. 2025
The two exchanged a handshake and pleasantries before San Francisco's win over Atlanta on Sunday.
—Natasha Dye, PEOPLE, 21 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pleasantry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantry
Noun
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Rodríguez’s government earlier this month had announced plans to release a significant number of prisoners in a goodwill gesture, but relatives of those detained have condemned the slow pace of the releases.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
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Gould said he was deeply moved by the gesture.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
1 Feb. 2026
Noun
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But for too many of us, that proved an empty promise, the concept of work-life balance a cruel joke for women burned out from trying to take care of children and aging relatives, advance their careers (or even tread water in them), and meet other seemingly countless obligations.—
Phaedra Trethan,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
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Verizon had no say over the fate of an actor who once played a fictional ad icon on its behalf, but consumers got the joke.—
Brian Steinberg,
Variety,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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All of its radiance-granting powers are effectively put towards a scent that comes alive with glowy warmth, courtesy of the mandarin, magnolia, coconut, sandalwood, and other ingredients found within.—
Stacia Datskovska,
Footwear News,
30 Jan. 2026
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Set inside a 17th-century former noble residence, the building has been a hotel since 1811—a grand, if slightly dusty, fixture of the Roman hospitality circuit—before having the cobwebs blown off courtesy of a four-year renovation overseen by the French-Mexican architect and designer Hugo Toro.—
Liam Hess,
Vogue,
28 Jan. 2026
Noun
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That anything-for-a-laugh ethos is not a flaw in his canon but its animating principle.—
Seth Abramovitch,
HollywoodReporter,
30 Jan. 2026
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The pair shared warm cups of oatmeal in the car, staying warm and having a laugh together about the wild turn the weather had taken.—
Kendall Malinchock,
USA Today,
29 Jan. 2026
Noun
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Cole follows up with a joking request to appear on an interlude on the forthcoming project, then asks whether West could send him a care package of clothes — which West agrees to — before exiting the stage.—
Jessica Lynch,
Billboard,
28 Dec. 2025
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Our poll’s options include a joking reference to Dan Marino.—
Greg Cote
December 20,
Miami Herald,
20 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pleasantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantry. Accessed 2 Feb. 2026.
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