sitting pretty

Cultural  

1. In a favorable position: “Abby finally got that promotion, and now she's sitting pretty.”

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sitting pretty Idioms  

1. In an advantageous position; also, financially well off. For example, The terms of the will left Mary sitting pretty. Although the use of pretty in the sense of “advantageous” is much older, this colloquialism dates only from the early 1900s. It was given extra currency as the title of two different musicals, Sittin' Pretty (M. Moore, 1921) and Sitting Pretty (G. Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, 1924).

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Example Sentences

Shareholders of those companies are sitting pretty on their gains, but those looking to put new money to work should look elsewhere.

From Barron's • Apr. 30, 2026

To say Iran is sitting pretty would be a misreading.

From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 8, 2026

If you have an income of $200,000 and, for the sake of simplicity, let’s say you have $1 million in your tech-heavy mutual fund, and your home is paid off, you are sitting pretty.

From MarketWatch • Oct. 29, 2025

“This expense and the stress is not sitting pretty with me,” she said with a chuckle.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 18, 2023

“Seriously, though, in a few weeks spring will be here for real, and those daffs will be sitting pretty, just like your dad likes.”

From "Blended" by Sharon M. Draper