pretty

[prit-ee]

adjective

prettier, prettiest 

1. pleasing or attractive to the eye, as by delicacy or gracefulness.

   a pretty face.

   Synonyms: attractive
   Antonyms: ugly

2. (of things, places, etc.) pleasing to the eye, especially without grandeur.

   Synonyms: pleasant

3. pleasing to the ear.

   a pretty tune.

   Synonyms: pleasant

4. pleasing to the mind or aesthetic taste.

   He writes pretty little stories.

   Synonyms: pleasant

5. (often used ironically) fine; grand.

   This is a pretty mess!

6. Informal.,  considerable; fairly great.

   This accident will cost him a pretty sum.

7. Archaic or Scot.,  brave; hardy.

noun

plural

pretties 

1. Usually pretties. pretty ornaments, clothes, etc.

2. a pretty person.

   Sit down, my pretty.

adverb

1. fairly or moderately.

   Her work was pretty good.

   Synonyms: somewhat

2. quite; very.

   The wind blew pretty hard.

3. Informal.,  prettily.

verb (used with object)

prettied, prettying 

1. to make pretty; improve the appearance of (sometimes followed byup ).

   to pretty oneself for a party;

   to pretty up a room.

pretty

/ ˈprɪtɪ /

adjective

1. pleasing or appealing in a delicate or graceful way

2. dainty, neat, or charming

3. commendable; good of its kind

   he replied with a pretty wit

4. informal,  excellent, grand, or fine

   here's a pretty mess!

5. informal,  lacking in masculinity; effeminate; foppish

6. vigorous or brave

7. an archaic word for elegant

8. informal,  a large sum of money

9. informal,  well placed or established financially, socially, etc

noun

1. a pretty person or thing

adverb

1. informal,  fairly or moderately; somewhat

2. informal,  quite or very

verb

1. to make pretty; adorn

Usage

The qualifying adverb pretty, meaning “fairly or moderately” has been in general use since the late 16th century. Although most common in informal speech and writing, it is far from restricted to them, and often is less stilted than alternatives such as relatively, moderately, and quite.

Other Word Forms

• prettily adverb
• prettiness noun
• prettyish adjective
• unprettily adverb
• unprettiness noun
• unpretty adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of pretty¹

First recorded before 1000; Middle English prati(e), pratte, prettie “cunning, gallant, fine, handsome, pretty”; Old English prættig, prettī “cunning,” derivative of prǣtt “a trick, wile”; cognate with Dutch part, pret “trick, prank,” Old Norse prettr “trick,” prettugr “tricky”

Word History and Origins

Origin of pretty¹

Old English prættig clever; related to Middle Low German prattich obstinate, Dutch prettig glad, Old Norse prettugr cunning

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. sitting pretty,

   1. in an advantageous position.

   2. well-to-do; successful.

More idioms and phrases containing pretty

• in a fix (pretty pickle)
• kettle of fish, pretty
• sitting pretty

Example Sentences

“It would be pretty cool with our equipment here, as opposed to the Royal Air Force.”

From Los Angeles Times

“Their drastic pullback in production and employment led to a pretty severe industry contraction that has contributed to some strain on our funds. We’ll be looking to them to help fix that with us.”

From Los Angeles Times

"I've been there when the road was paved and I've been here today when it's pretty much paved for the next generation."

From BBC

“Anything dealing with motherhood and shame around motherhood, whether it’s disappointment, failure — she’s got this line in the movie, ‘I wasn’t meant to do this’ — these are pretty radical things to say,” Byrne explains.

From Los Angeles Times

In fact, ever since that 2024 winter of discontent, news conferences, articles and the narrative of pretty much every game they have played has been dominated by what had gone so badly wrong before.

From BBC

Related Words

• attractive 
• beautiful 
• charming 
• cute 
• elegant 
• good-looking 
• graceful 
• handsome 
• lovely 
• neat 
• pleasant 

When To Use

What are other ways to say pretty?

Something or someone that is pretty is pleasing to the eye. But calling someone pretty isn’t quite the same as calling them beautiful, handsome, or lovely. Find out why on Thesaurus.com.