pretty
pleasing or attractive to the eye, as by delicacy or gracefulness: a pretty face.
(of things, places, etc.) pleasing to the eye, especially without grandeur.
pleasing to the ear: a pretty tune.
pleasing to the mind or aesthetic taste: He writes pretty little stories.
(often used ironically) fine; grand: This is a pretty mess!
Informal. considerable; fairly great: This accident will cost him a pretty sum.
Archaic or Scot. brave; hardy.
Usually pretties. pretty ornaments, clothes, etc.
a pretty person: Sit down, my pretty.
fairly or moderately: Her work was pretty good.
quite; very: The wind blew pretty hard.
Informal. prettily.
to make pretty; improve the appearance of (sometimes followed by up): to pretty oneself for a party;to pretty up a room.
Idioms about pretty
sitting pretty, Informal.
in an advantageous position.
well-to-do; successful.
Origin of pretty
1usage note For pretty
Other words for pretty
Opposites for pretty
Other words from pretty
- pret·ti·ly, adverb
- pret·ti·ness, noun
- pret·ty·ish, adjective
- un·pret·ti·ly, adverb
- un·pret·ti·ness, noun
- un·pret·ty, adjective
Words Nearby pretty
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
How to use pretty in a sentence
In the seeding games, the rate of calls receiving each of those designations was pretty similar to where it was during the regular season.
Don’t Blame The Refs For All Of These Replay Reviews | Jared Dubin | September 17, 2020 | FiveThirtyEightThat’s a pretty huge step for anybody trying to accrue as many SERP features as they can, and, in particular, for news websites.
Google ranking factors to change search in 2021: Core Web Vitals, E-A-T, or AMP? | Aleh Barysevich | September 16, 2020 | Search Engine WatchYou should be pretty freaking complete by the time you come together, join together with another person.
As for the towers I built, the difference looked pretty obvious.
Build ice towers with bottled water and ice | Bethany Brookshire | September 16, 2020 | Science News For StudentsThis is a pretty standard speed bump for the bread-and-butter iPad.
Apple just announced a new iPad, iPad Air, and Apple Watch Series 6 | Stan Horazek | September 15, 2020 | Popular-Science
I think the response of the French government so far has been pretty appropriate in that regard.
I gotta say—I think this past year was pretty bad for music.
Coffee Talk with Fred Armisen: On ‘Portlandia,’ Meeting Obama, and Taylor Swift’s Greatness | Marlow Stern | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEAST“Jeffrey wanted me to tell you that you looked so pretty,” the female voice said into my disbelieving ear.
I Tried to Warn You About Sleazy Billionaire Jeffrey Epstein in 2003 | Vicky Ward | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTThe clichés about football-obsessed husbands and frustrated wives are pretty heavy-handed.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits | Emily Shire | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTEarly on, the sexual protagonist complains that her Molson-drinking husband is pretty much an incompetent Neanderthal.
‘A Gronking to Remember’ Speed Read: 8 Naughtiest Bits | Emily Shire | January 7, 2015 | THE DAILY BEASTYet if there is a measure of untruth in such pretty flatteries, one needs to be superhuman in order to condemn them harshly.
Children's Ways | James SullyAs company after company appeared, we were able to form a pretty exact estimate of their numbers.
He glanced aside, and saw an exceedingly pretty, dark face, which looked vaguely familiar.
Rosemary in Search of a Father | C. N. Williamsonpretty women without religion are like flowers without perfume.
Pearls of Thought | Maturin M. BallouBlanche stood an instant looking into the lighted room and hesitating—flushed a little, smiling, extremely pretty.
Confidence | Henry James
British Dictionary definitions for pretty
/ (ˈprɪtɪ) /
pleasing or appealing in a delicate or graceful way
dainty, neat, or charming
commendable; good of its kind: he replied with a pretty wit
informal, often ironic excellent, grand, or fine: here's a pretty mess!
informal lacking in masculinity; effeminate; foppish
Scot vigorous or brave
an archaic word for elegant
a pretty penny informal a large sum of money
sitting pretty informal well placed or established financially, socially, etc
a pretty person or thing
informal fairly or moderately; somewhat
informal quite or very
(tr often foll by up) to make pretty; adorn
Origin of pretty
1Derived forms of pretty
- prettily, adverb
- prettiness, noun
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Other Idioms and Phrases with pretty
In addition to the idioms beginning with pretty
- pretty as a picture
- pretty much
- pretty penny, a
also see:
- in a fix (pretty pickle)
- kettle of fish, pretty
- sitting pretty
The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
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