pleasantry
Americannoun
plural
pleasantries-
good-humored teasing; banter.
-
a humorous or jesting remark.
-
a courteous social remark used to initiate or facilitate a conversation.
to exchange pleasantries.
-
a humorous action.
noun
-
(often plural) an agreeable or amusing remark, often one made in order to be polite
they exchanged pleasantries
-
an agreeably humorous manner or style
-
rare enjoyment; pleasantness
a pleasantry of life
Etymology
Origin of pleasantry
1645–55; < French plaisanterie, Old French plesanterie. See pleasant, -ry
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
It’s unclear if this is a plea or a pleasantry.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026
Norm doesn’t treat the inquiry — “How’s the world treating you, Norm?” — as perfunctory pleasantry.
From Los Angeles Times • May 21, 2025
In a different version of Washington — something in the ballpark of the old normal, whatever that was — the sentiment could be ignored as a boilerplate pleasantry.
From New York Times • Nov. 13, 2019
Murray seemed embarrassed, mumbled some pleasantry, then turned away.
From Scientific American • Jun. 6, 2019
Patrolman Mancuso was too startled by the monstrous flannel nightshirt to reply to Ignatius’ pleasantry.
From "A Confederacy of Dunces" by John Kennedy Toole
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
