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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Examples Sentences
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Recent Examples of pleasantry
Taking her cue from this kind of misleadingly righteous and euphemistic messaging, Scotti weaves tense little waltzes of activist-speak, pleasantries, and passive aggression for her central quartet.
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Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
The two were often pictured greeting each other and sharing pleasantries at award shows and other industry events.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Having a pet that needs to go outside creates opportunities to exchange pleasantries with someone at the dog park or out on a walk, Saltz added.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024
Tears flowed, pleasantries were exchanged and Kotb explained her decision.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pleasantry 
Sara Holdren, Vulture, 19 Sep. 2024
The two were often pictured greeting each other and sharing pleasantries at award shows and other industry events.
—Stephanie Sengwe, People.com, 30 Oct. 2024
Having a pet that needs to go outside creates opportunities to exchange pleasantries with someone at the dog park or out on a walk, Saltz added.
—Madeline Holcombe, CNN, 18 Oct. 2024
Tears flowed, pleasantries were exchanged and Kotb explained her decision.
—Bill Goodykoontz, The Arizona Republic, 26 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for pleasantry
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantry
Noun
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The Hack: Subtle mirroring—sitting in a similar posture or adopting comparable gestures—signals alignment and understanding.Scott Hutcheson, Forbes, 18 Dec. 2024
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Foxx reportedly exclaimed, reacting to the inappropriate gesture.Marc Griffin, VIBE.com, 17 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Like many classic Spongebob jokes, the scene became a meme, often referenced and recreated online.Dani Di Placido, Forbes, 13 Dec. 2024
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Mulaney did a classic couch set on The Tonight Show (perhaps the most classic venue for a couch set) with new jokes about his son, his son’s emerging rockabilly tendencies, and his son’s hatred for Steely Dan.Bethy Squires, Vulture, 13 Dec. 2024
Noun
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While Oratorio Tangram did receive a US release on the Dreamcast, courtesy of Activision, the lack of TwinSticks internationally didn’t exactly help the game.Ollie Barder, Forbes, 10 Dec. 2024
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See the full franchise-ranking lists below, courtesy of Fandom.Jennifer Maas, Variety, 9 Dec. 2024
Noun
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Many rival fans have had a good laugh at Tottenham and their wildly fluctuating results this season.Nick Miller, The Athletic, 13 Dec. 2024
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After 25 years in business, Vanessa von Bismarck and Carrie Phillips have had their share of successes, laughs and struggles.Rosemary Feitelberg, WWD, 12 Dec. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near pleasantry
Cite this Entry
“Pleasantry.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantry. Accessed 22 Dec. 2024.
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