as in nicely
in a pleasing way
the dining room at the inn has a pleasingly old-fashioned look to it
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Recent Examples of pleasingly
Although the film pleasingly goes full Latin-American Peckinpah — yet with a far more convincing and righteous anti-colonial streak — threaded throughout are dreamlike interludes and flashbacks that provide generational historical context to the events and intensify the atmosphere.
—
David Katz, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
As the United States has escalated its attacks on Iran, there’s something pleasingly transgressive about bringing Iranian elements into such overtly Western music—so much so that the songs without Yaghmai’s playing seem a little subdued in comparison.
—Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 15 May 2026
That Directors’ Fortnight entry slightly overloaded on farcical complications but breezed along on the script’s daffy humor, its underlying sweetness and the director’s pleasingly light touch.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
The resort was created by Turkish entrepreneur Esin Güral Argat, who believes in biophilic design – using nature in the decor to enhance a sense of wellbeing – which means lots of pleasingly curved edges and playful nods to the ocean.
—Ann Lee, TheWeek, 30 Apr. 2026
But there’s also something pleasingly and realistically melancholy about The Devil Wears Prada 2.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Apr. 2026
Gast Studio’s Stem Vase, on show at group exhibition Deoron, features glossy oversized thorn shapes that give the object both a hostile presence and a pleasingly jagged profile, like a rose stem on steroids.
—Francesca Perry, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Brashly violent, clattery and pleasingly untied to any direct predecessor, the result is more generic than its braggy auteur claims might promise, but there’s a lot here for gorehounds to feast on.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Quentin Tarantino’s outrageous revisionist Western is wildly over-the-top, combining the director’s penchant for gratuitous violence and sparkling dialogue with a story that’s pleasingly labyrinthine but nothing if not schlocky.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
David Katz, IndieWire, 20 May 2026
As the United States has escalated its attacks on Iran, there’s something pleasingly transgressive about bringing Iranian elements into such overtly Western music—so much so that the songs without Yaghmai’s playing seem a little subdued in comparison.
—Molly Mary O’Brien, Pitchfork, 15 May 2026
That Directors’ Fortnight entry slightly overloaded on farcical complications but breezed along on the script’s daffy humor, its underlying sweetness and the director’s pleasingly light touch.
—David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 12 May 2026
The resort was created by Turkish entrepreneur Esin Güral Argat, who believes in biophilic design – using nature in the decor to enhance a sense of wellbeing – which means lots of pleasingly curved edges and playful nods to the ocean.
—Ann Lee, TheWeek, 30 Apr. 2026
But there’s also something pleasingly and realistically melancholy about The Devil Wears Prada 2.
—Stephanie Zacharek, Time, 29 Apr. 2026
Gast Studio’s Stem Vase, on show at group exhibition Deoron, features glossy oversized thorn shapes that give the object both a hostile presence and a pleasingly jagged profile, like a rose stem on steroids.
—Francesca Perry, CNN Money, 24 Apr. 2026
Brashly violent, clattery and pleasingly untied to any direct predecessor, the result is more generic than its braggy auteur claims might promise, but there’s a lot here for gorehounds to feast on.
—Guy Lodge, Variety, 16 Apr. 2026
Quentin Tarantino’s outrageous revisionist Western is wildly over-the-top, combining the director’s penchant for gratuitous violence and sparkling dialogue with a story that’s pleasingly labyrinthine but nothing if not schlocky.
—Declan Gallagher, Entertainment Weekly, 11 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasingly
Adverb
-
The alternately suspenseful and silly scene nicely sets up the tone for this new season, which is infused with references to classic Westerns as much as screwball comedies.—
David Canfield,
HollywoodReporter,
1 June 2026
-
Each medicine is individually packaged, and the whole kit is small enough to fit nicely in your purse or backpack.—
Chantelle Kincy,
Travel + Leisure,
30 May 2026
Adverb
-
The Events Hall at Ian’s chapel once was part of the underground railroad system and belonged to an Amish community in Ohio; the history runs deliciously deep and diverse here.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
-
Before kick-off, the situation was deliciously complex, with a huge amount of movement possible, and different competitions up for grabs.—
Andy Naylor,
New York Times,
24 May 2026
Adverb
-
The service Warm, personal, yet delightfully unfussed.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 June 2026
-
The attached cocktail lounge keeps the brandy Old-Fashioneds flowing long after breakfast ends and even features an 18-foot shuffleboard table that feels delightfully stuck in another era.—
Lauren Dana Ellman,
Midwest Living,
31 May 2026
Adverb
-
To that end, here’s a selection of the best (and most enjoyably bad) literary film and TV coming to streaming services this month.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
29 May 2026
-
There’s one enjoyably oddball visual when Passenger Man disrupts a cozy projector-and-canopy movie night in the forest and suddenly the faces of Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn are on trees everywhere as mayhem ensues.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
22 May 2026
Adverb
-
The bags tend to be upscale, durable, made of the highest quality, lightweight and great-looking.—
Scott Kramer,
Forbes.com,
27 May 2026
-
These same resentments likely erupted in the murder of Clapham and in the solidarity a great many local people felt with the Panis woman.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
26 May 2026
Adverb
-
The significance of beef here extends well beyond economics and cuisines, but historians often describe Texas’ barbecue culture as a reflection of the state’s layered immigration history – traditions brought by communities that shaped Texas over generations.—
Rebecca Morin,
USA Today,
29 May 2026
-
Cans block harmful light better than bottles, whose long necks can allow light and oxygen that speed up aging.—
Kait Hanson,
Southern Living,
29 May 2026
Adverb
-
For management teams charged with clearing a path through uncertainty and volatility, there are few resources as flexible and finely tuned.—
Serguei Netessine,
Fortune,
28 May 2026
-
Transfer spices to a mortar and pestle and crush until finely ground.—
Shilpa Uskokovic,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
28 May 2026
Adverb
-
On the palate, the whiskey delivers a medium-to-full-bodied texture with a pleasantly oily mouthfeel that coats the tongue without feeling heavy.—
Joseph V Micallef,
Forbes.com,
30 May 2026
-
Impressively, Guimaraes also rediscovered the goal-scoring touch which pleasantly surprised Newcastle staff during his first half-season.—
Chris Waugh,
New York Times,
29 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleasingly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasingly. Accessed 2 Jun. 2026.
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