pleasantry

American  

[plez-uhn-tree] / ˈplɛz ən tri /

noun

• pleasantries
  plural

1. good-humored teasing; banter.

2. a humorous or jesting remark.

3. a courteous social remark used to initiate or facilitate a conversation.

   to exchange pleasantries.

4. a humorous action.

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pleasantry British  

/ ˈplɛzəntrɪ /

noun

1. (often plural) an agreeable or amusing remark, often one made in order to be polite

   they exchanged pleasantries

2. an agreeably humorous manner or style

3. rare enjoyment; pleasantness

   a pleasantry of life

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• pleasantries
  plural

Etymology

Origin of pleasantry

1645–55; < French plaisanterie, Old French plesanterie. See pleasant, -ry

Explanation

“It’s so nice to see you.” “Nice weather, yes?” “You look great in that frog costume.” Each of the last three sentences is a pleasantry, a warm and kind-hearted bit of small talk. It’s no accident that the word pleasant is inside pleasantry, since a pleasantry is a simple, polite, and pleasant remark made in a conversation. Pleasantries aren’t that deep — talking about politics or religion might be outside the pleasantry range, but some good-humored chatting never hurt anyone. You might say some pleasantries to a passerby on the street, when you are introduced to someone new, or if your grandmother asks you a question about your dating life.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

pleasantry pleasantries

It’s unclear if this is a plea or a pleasantry.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 27, 2026

Suddenly things that seem kind of nice because they are little dashes of pleasantry in what may be an otherwise sterile work environment are relatively banal in the context of working from home.

From New York Times ● Apr. 14, 2022

After emerging from the car, and before they walked the picket line, Slater and Harrah exchanged a nonverbal pleasantry.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 6, 2020

Murray seemed embarrassed, mumbled some pleasantry, then turned away.

From Scientific American ● Jun. 6, 2019

Among the servants, too, there was some opportunity for social pleasantry, we being drawn from so many houses.

From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson

The Dodgers’ newest star arrived Sunday and was in the Dodgers’ dugout during the game, exchanging pleasantries with his new teammates and coaches.

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 3, 2026

Together for the better part of four decades, L7 did not faff around with small talk and pleasantries: They took the stage and rocked your face off.

From Salon ● Jul. 21, 2026

Groups of passersby stopped outside the city’s La Carlota air base—one of the sites targeted in Saturday’s military incursion —to take photos, exchanging pleasantries as they snapped photos of the bombed site.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 5, 2026

They exchanged pleasantries with Mrs. Sutherland, she departed, and the men got straight down to business.

From Slate ● Dec. 1, 2025

And from weatherworkers and wandering jugglers who went from town to town of the Northward Vale and the East Forest he had learned various tricks and pleasantries, spells of Illusion.

From "A Wizard of Earthsea" by Ursula K. Le Guin

Related Words

• repartee
• witticism