pretty

[ prit-ee ]

/ ˈprɪt i /

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See synonyms for: pretty / prettied / prettier / prettiest on Thesaurus.com

adjective, pret·ti·er, pret·ti·est.

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.

noun, plural pret·ties.

Usually pretties. pretty ornaments, clothes, etc.

a pretty person: Sit down, my pretty.

adverb

fairly or moderately: Her work was pretty good.

quite; very: The wind blew pretty hard.

Informal. prettily.

verb (used with object), pret·tied, pret·ty·ing.

to make pretty; improve the appearance of (sometimes followed by up): to pretty oneself for a party; to pretty up a room.

OTHER WORDS FOR pretty

1 attractive.

2-4 pleasant.

10 somewhat.

See synonyms for pretty on Thesaurus.com

OPPOSITES FOR pretty

1 ugly.

See antonyms for pretty on Thesaurus.com

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Idioms about pretty

sitting pretty, Informal.

in an advantageous position.
well-to-do; successful.

Origin of pretty

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)

usage note for pretty

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 WORDS FROM pretty

pret·ti·ly, adverbpret·ti·ness, nounpret·ty·ish, adjectiveun·pret·ti·ly, adverb

un·pret·ti·ness, nounun·pret·ty, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use pretty in a sentence

Given the fact that really these masks are not really designed to protect the wearer, they’re designed to protect the community, actually these results turned out pretty good for masks.
That new study saying masks might not be effective? It has a few caveats.|Kate Baggaley|November 20, 2020|Popular-Science
If you are a SaaS fan you are probably pretty shocked right now.
What is Roblox worth?|Alex Wilhelm|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
These are among the very best startups ever built, and therefore, unsurprisingly, the founders all did pretty well for themselves.
If you didn’t make $1B this week, you are not doing VC right|Danny Crichton|November 20, 2020|TechCrunch
Democrats have also made gains in the more urban DeKalb and Fulton counties, which both include parts of the city of Atlanta and were already pretty Democratic leaning.
How Georgia Turned Blue|Perry Bacon Jr. (perry.bacon@fivethirtyeight.com)|November 18, 2020|FiveThirtyEight

I also had a boyfriend pretty seriously from 18 to 24 and then 24 to 30.
Christy Turlington, the Model Activist|Eugene Robinson|November 11, 2020|Ozy
To realize his pretty scenes, Potter employed some unpretty methods.
Dead and Beautiful: The Art of Taxidermy|William O’Connor|April 16, 2014|DAILY BEAST
"Creep," "No Scrubs," and "Unpretty," obviously, were huge crowd pleasers.
TLC Reunites for a New York City Concert. Dreams Do Come True|Kevin Fallon|January 31, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Vanity Fair scribe went on to call the house, which was completed in 1991, “surprisingly unpretty inside.”
The Mystery of the Spelling Mansion|Nicole LaPorte|June 21, 2011|DAILY BEAST
He was small and old and stooped and fuzzy, and thoroughly unpretty to see.
The Reclaimers|Margaret Hill McCarter
But he grimaced and held himself awake to contemplate the unpretty spectacle of himself and his actions.
Operation: Outer Space|William Fitzgerald Jenkins
What, then, is to become of the penniless, and the unpretty!
Dealings With The Dead|A Sexton of the Old School
She appeared next day staid, flat-figured, almost unpretty, her wonderful hair smoothed closely over her small ears.
The Romance of His Life|Mary Cholmondeley
I called myself unpretty names for thinking that I could not even see her without danger.
Told in a French Garden|Mildred Aldrich

British Dictionary definitions for pretty

pretty

/ (ˈprɪtɪ) /

adjective -tier or -tiest

pleasing or appealing in a delicate or graceful way

dainty, neat, or charming

commendable; good of its kindhe replied with a pretty wit

informal, often ironic excellent, grand, or finehere'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

noun plural -ties

a pretty person or thing

adverb

informal fairly or moderately; somewhat

informal quite or very

verb -ties, -tying or -tied

(tr often foll by up) to make pretty; adorn

Derived forms of pretty

prettily, adverbprettiness, noun

Word Origin for pretty

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

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

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

pretty

OTHER WORDS FOR pretty

OPPOSITES FOR pretty

Idioms about pretty

Origin of pretty

usage note for pretty

OTHER WORDS FROM pretty

Words related to pretty

How to use pretty in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for pretty

Derived forms of pretty

Word Origin for pretty

Other Idioms and Phrases with pretty