Stephen and Mr Illing exchanged pleasantries.pleasantrypleas‧ant‧ry /ˈplezəntri/ noun (plural pleasantries) [countable usually plural] formal 
Stephen and Mr Illing exchanged pleasantries.
EXAMPLES FROM THE CORPUS
- After a few pleasantries and the shaking of many hands, I accompanied the column for a short distance along the road.
- I leave them after exchanging pleasantries, taking the garbage downstairs with me.
- I stood on the truck, smiling pleasantries, talking about where we were in the war and what the pitch was.
- If only he could unbend and relax, even give a genuine smile or make a pleasantry.
- No one ever caught a glimpse of his furrowed face smiling over innocent pleasantries.
- Oblivious, Mr Straw exchanged pleasantries with hand-picked prisoners.
- Whereas all else had been a matter of pleasantries, he was ribald.
- Word is she and McDermott exchanged pleasantries and greetings and watched the goings-on.
COLLOCATIONS FROM THE ENTRY Stephen and Mr Illing exchanged pleasantries.COLLOCATIONS FROM THE CORPUSVERB
Stephen and Mr Illing exchanged pleasantries.· Oblivious, Mr Straw exchanged pleasantries with hand-picked prisoners.· I leave them after exchanging pleasantries, taking the garbage downstairs with me.· She and Sting were still on good terms - they actually sat beside each other throughout the court case, exchanging pleasantries.· Word is she and McDermott exchanged pleasantries and greetings and watched the goings-on.· Bedford knew them all by sight but had never exchanged more than pleasantries.· This must be her idea of exchanging social pleasantries.
WORD FAMILYadjectivepleasant ≠ unpleasantpleased ≠ displeasedpleasing ≠ displeasingpleasurableadverbpleasantly ≠ unpleasantlypleasinglypleasurablynounpleasantrypleasure ≠ displeasureverbplease ≠ displease
things that you say to someone in order to be polite, but which are not very important: Stephen and Mr Illing exchanged pleasantries.