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
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
The evening concluded with a celebratory toast and more pleasantries.
—Essence, 14 Oct. 2025
Those transactional elements can be handled automatically, so human interactions can focus more on personal touches, pleasantries and handling any glitches that come up.
—Sofia Celeste, Footwear News, 14 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pleasantry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantry
Noun
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At the end of Monday's live Atlas demonstration, the humanoid prototype swung its arms in a theatrical gesture to introduce a static model of the new product version of Atlas, which looked slightly different and was blue in color.—
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By integrating vision, audio, and language, IntEngine enables Nylo to coordinate speech, facial expressions, and gestures in real time.—
Noun
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If that means being the frequent butt of jokes for his age, that's fine, too.—
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Try to ski with a friend, who might distract me with a story or a joke.—
Noun
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An important piece of cosmic intel or a unique insight could arrive courtesy of a friend.—
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Bieber paired the mesmerizing dress with large statement 30-carat diamond studs, a few diamond rings courtesy of Lorraine Schwartz, and a pair of black open-toed heels.—
Noun
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The Spartans got the last laugh for now, too, taking both games.—
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Katz said, feigning familiarity with the leader’s influence and drawing laughs from the audience.—
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.—
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Our poll’s options include a joking reference to Dan Marino.—
Cite this Entry
“Pleasantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantry. Accessed 13 Jan. 2026.
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