Thesaurus results for PLEASANTRY

pleasantry

noun

ˈple-zᵊn-trē

Definition of pleasantry

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

Relevance

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

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent Examples of pleasantry Mariano said of a scene in the first episode, in which newcomers made out with contestants immediately upon entering the villa without exchanging pleasantries. — Kimi Robinson, USA Today, 26 June 2026 But Suzanna sees her mom every Saturday, making the long trip out of New York, up the hill, through security, and into the glum room where their pleasantries wear thin. — Dan Piepenbring, Harpers Magazine, 21 Apr. 2026 Trump's pleasantries also were a change from the more hawkish approach adopted in the final year of his first administration, a strategy of containment that Beijing saw as overtly confrontational, and which Biden found difficult to reverse. — John Feng, MSNBC Newsweek, 14 May 2026 Further, a separate gesture from De Paul that appeared antagonistic toward those supporters went uncaptured, as did Messi’s post-game maneuver to round up De Paul and Suarez, keeping them away explicitly from La Familia’s side of the stadium during post-game pleasantries. — Ian Nicholas Quillen, Forbes.com, 22 May 2026 See All Example Sentences for pleasantry

Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantry

Noun

In 2009, Pope Benedict XVI rescinded the excommunications of the surviving bishops as a gesture towards reconciliation.

— Chas Newkey-Burden, TheWeek, 2 July 2026
People would hang from windows, encouraging you to do naughty things, and my thumb has never been sorer from back-and-forth gestures.

— Matthew MacConnell, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

Definition of gesture

Noun

More than 30,000 complimentary Dasani water bottles will be distributed to fans entering through the First Base, Third Base and Left Field gates, courtesy of Liberty Coke Bottlers.

— Eva Andersen, CBS News, 2 July 2026
The statue’s creation is already underway courtesy of local sculptor Ben Victor.

— Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 1 July 2026

Definition of courtesy

Browse Nearby Words

pleasantries

pleasantry

please

See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

Style

“Pleasantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantry. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

Copy Citation

Synonyms of pleasantry

noun

Example Sentences

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

gambol

Popular in Grammar & Usage

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?

Commonly Misspelled Words

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Popular in Wordplay

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

One-Word Oxymorons: Bittersweet, Spendthrift, and More

Ten Words Ending with a Silent ‘T’

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Popular

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

14 Phobias You Probably Haven't Heard Of

The Longest Long Words List

Games & Quizzes