as in nicely
in a pleasing way
we were pleasantly surprised by their offer to put us up for the night
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pleasantly
One of the most pleasantly surprising things about visiting the Florida Keys is seeing how many attractions allow for four-legged visitors accompanying their humans.
—
Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
Good gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are pleasantly sweet and have plenty of melty chocolate chips in the mix.
—Jolene Thym, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Things bop along pleasantly enough in the company of such consummate professionals, all having fun.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026
But The Pitt’s woes are part of a larger wave sweeping fandoms across many mediums and genres, in which relationships that used to be pleasantly parasocial have become borderline disturbing.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 20 Apr. 2026
Both were pleasantly surprised by their fast times.
—ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
Soft and spongy, this vibrant yellow cake is pleasantly sweet, with notes of fragrant lemon.
—Staff Author, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Apr. 2026
Players were pleasantly surprised by how many fans braved the cold, breezy conditions and 30-degree temperature drop.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2026
This makes for a pleasantly complex Kir royale, and also plays nicely in gin or agave cocktails.
—Jerry & Krista Slater, AJC.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Patrick Connolly, The Orlando Sentinel, 2 May 2026
Good gluten-free chocolate chip cookies are pleasantly sweet and have plenty of melty chocolate chips in the mix.
—Jolene Thym, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Things bop along pleasantly enough in the company of such consummate professionals, all having fun.
—Chris Jones, New York Daily News, 20 Apr. 2026
But The Pitt’s woes are part of a larger wave sweeping fandoms across many mediums and genres, in which relationships that used to be pleasantly parasocial have become borderline disturbing.
—Chris Murphy, Vanity Fair, 20 Apr. 2026
Both were pleasantly surprised by their fast times.
—ABC News, 20 Apr. 2026
Soft and spongy, this vibrant yellow cake is pleasantly sweet, with notes of fragrant lemon.
—Staff Author, Better Homes & Gardens, 18 Apr. 2026
Players were pleasantly surprised by how many fans braved the cold, breezy conditions and 30-degree temperature drop.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 18 Apr. 2026
This makes for a pleasantly complex Kir royale, and also plays nicely in gin or agave cocktails.
—Jerry & Krista Slater, AJC.com, 12 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pleasantly
Adverb
-
The parquets seem nicely maintained with great little border details.—
Katie McDonough,
Curbed,
4 May 2026
-
Jefferson, now working on the Declaration of Independence, nicely tightened that up.—
Jill Lepore,
New Yorker,
4 May 2026
Adverb
-
This root veggie is known for its deliciously sweet, earthy flavor and high vitamin C content.—
Sarah Bence,
Verywell Health,
1 May 2026
-
Someone once thought that butter, brown sugar, and pineapple should cook together at the bottom of a cast-iron skillet to make a deliciously gooey topping for a cake when flipped over.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
30 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
Unlike her earlier Fame Monster remixes, which served utilitarian club fodder to capitalize on her debut, Dawn delightfully surrendered its source material to a wise cast of pop, rap, and dance tinkerers like Ashnikko and Dorian Electra.—
Craig Jenkins,
Vulture,
4 May 2026
-
The technique is dead simple (all by hand) and takes a delightfully heavy hand with spices.—
The Bon Appétit Staff,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
1 May 2026
Adverb
-
But manage again when the Yankees great known as Donnie Baseball was about to turn 65?—
Dan Gelston,
Chicago Tribune,
29 Apr. 2026
-
Jack Nicholson appeared in a rare photo as the cinema great turned 89.—
Lauryn Overhultz,
FOXNews.com,
24 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
To that end, here’s a selection of the best (and most enjoyably bad) literary film and TV coming to streaming services this month.—
Emily Temple,
Literary Hub,
30 Apr. 2026
-
Chatting with the peddler Rutherford Selig (Bradley Stryker, enjoyably channeling Deadwood), Bynum casually unzips the surface of reality and dips into the waters below.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
-
In light of federal immigration crackdowns, funding cuts and rollbacks to civil rights protections and oversight, how can California better serve vulnerable student populations, including those who are immigrants, are LGBTQ+ and have disabilities?—
Jemma Stephenson,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
8 May 2026
-
The tension was best presented throughout the third period, as Minnesota had 11 shots on goals to just one from Montreal.—
Theodore Tollefson,
Twin Cities,
8 May 2026
Adverb
-
Cover and process until finely chopped, stopping to scrape down sides as necessary.—
Maggie Meyer Glisan,
Better Homes & Gardens,
4 May 2026
-
Matcha is a finely ground powder of Japanese green tea leaves, which are grown in shade, offering a striking characteristic green hue and releasing a strong flavor and powerful antioxidants from a reaction with boiling water.—
Philip Potempa,
Chicago Tribune,
1 May 2026
Adverb
-
To that end, the writer-director, Chandler Levack, establishes an agreeably slapdash attitude of hedonistic adventure, one that’s often intentionally borderline cringe.—
Owen Gleiberman,
Variety,
12 Apr. 2026
-
Jothan seemed agreeably nerdy—less astro-jazzman than small-town postal clerk—but his attempt at reassurance backfired.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
13 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pleasantly.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pleasantly. Accessed 8 May. 2026.
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