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pleasantry

pleasantry

23 6.0
Friendly or funny remarks to make conversation pleasant
  • noun
  • /ˈplɛzəntri/
translation icon : cortesía
  • During the meeting, we exchanged pleasantries before diving into the agenda.
  • exchange pleasantries

It's just a minefield of of pleasantries and etiquette.

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Examples

  • We exchanged pleasantries over the telephone and I offered to meet with them at their modest apartment residence in a neighbouring town.

  • And I get in the car, we exchange pleasantries, we start talking about Denver real estate, whatever.

  • As it was, I merely passed some small pleasantry and left him to himself.

    Fiction book (1993)
  • The officer did not say "Hello" or "How do?" or any such pleasantry.

    Fiction book (1997)
  • Now that we have the pleasantries out of the way, - what can I help you with?

  • Plus, you know how I hate pleasantries.

  • I think we're past the point of pleasantries, Janet, yeah.

  • Why don't we drop the pleasantries?

  • Miranda Jackson took her seat in my office and, after we exchanged pleasantries, she got to the point.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Inge stood by and listened while he and the professor exchanged pleasantries.

    Fiction book (1999)

Synonyms

compliment
vspleasantry
342 1.6

A polite remark that praises someone or something

aims to make conversation pleasant often with humor not praise
drollery
vspleasantry
  • Archaic
1 8.6

A short funny remark or action that makes people smile

is specifically a friendly remark meant to create a pleasant atmosphere
badinage
vspleasantry
  • Literature
1 9.9

Light playful talk that people use to make each other laugh

is a single friendly or humorous remark rather than ongoing talk
playful jab
vspleasantry
  • Informal
1 4.6

A short teasing remark that makes someone laugh without hurting them

is more neutral and aims to create a pleasant atmosphere instead of teasing
smartish remark
vspleasantry
6.0

A quick, clever comment that is slightly cheeky

is friendlier and aims to please rather than being cheekily clever

How Humorous

joke
1.0
quip
20 6.4
pleasantry
23 6.0

Surface Forms

pleasantry singular
pleasantries plural

Morphology

pleasantry = pleasant (transparent) = pleasant + ry

Formed by the adjective 'pleasant' with the noun-forming suffix '-ry', so the meaning of a polite or humorous remark is directly related to 'pleasant'.

Etymology

Pleasantry comes from pleasant, which goes back to an old French and Latin word meaning 'to please'. So a pleasantry is a small, polite remark meant to make people feel good and keep a conversation friendly.