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
And, to cap off his WWE appearance, Scott appeared backstage in the parking lot, exchanging pleasantries with The Rock.
—
Shaheem Reid, Variety, 7 Jan. 2025
But before the clock hit zero and players on both sidelines funneled onto the field for the postgame pleasantries, a celebration was building.
—Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
Senator John Fetterman and billionaire Elon Musk shared pleasantries as the two were on Capitol Hill yesterday.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
As the ladies settle in and gather for lunch, casual pleasantries quickly give way to playful shade—par for the course with this group.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pleasantry 
Shaheem Reid, Variety, 7 Jan. 2025
But before the clock hit zero and players on both sidelines funneled onto the field for the postgame pleasantries, a celebration was building.
—Alec Lewis, The Athletic, 9 Dec. 2024
Senator John Fetterman and billionaire Elon Musk shared pleasantries as the two were on Capitol Hill yesterday.
—Daniel R. Depetris, Newsweek, 6 Dec. 2024
As the ladies settle in and gather for lunch, casual pleasantries quickly give way to playful shade—par for the course with this group.
—Shelby Stewart, Essence, 16 Dec. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pleasantry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantry
Noun
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Breathwork, sound, gesture, and instrumentation played key roles in oral poetry delivered in this era.—
David Silverberg,
JSTOR Daily,
29 Jan. 2025
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At first, the dedicated mother saw the project as a simple, heartfelt gesture to create something meaningful for her son.—
Hilary Tetenbaum,
USA TODAY,
29 Jan. 2025
Noun
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These shows are led by a cast of improv comedians, leading into the various personalities’ wit and humor over scripted jokes.—
Sara Belcher,
People.com,
24 Jan. 2025
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But the joke’s on me after his sweet touch and finish (above) at Manchester United in the Europa League last night.—
Phil Hay,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Noun
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Things are looking up right now, though. — Stats and research courtesy of Natural Stat Trick, Hockey Reference, Evolving Hockey and Stathead (Photo of Auston Matthews: Minas Panagiotakis / Getty Images) Jonas Siegel is a staff writer on the Maple Leafs for The Athletic.—
Jonas Siegel,
The Athletic,
20 Jan. 2025
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Screenshot courtesy of Brenda Stolyar via Apple Intelligence Power up with unlimited access to WIRED.—
Brenda Stolyar,
WIRED,
20 Jan. 2025
Noun
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After a few more laughs, Reynolds turned sentimental and shared some heartfelt words about Jackman.—
Mitchell Peters,
Billboard,
25 Jan. 2025
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My wife got a good laugh out of my fleeting optimism.—
Jon Greenberg,
The Athletic,
24 Jan. 2025
Thesaurus Entries Near pleasantry
Cite this Entry
“Pleasantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantry. Accessed 2 Feb. 2025.
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