pretty
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About Our Definitions: All forms of a word (noun, verb, etc.) are now displayed on one page.1pret·ty
adjective \ˈpri-tē, ˈpər- also ˈpru̇-\pret·ti·erpret·ti·est
Definition of PRETTY
2
a : pleasing by delicacy or grace b : having conventionally accepted elements of beauty c : appearing or sounding pleasant or nice but lacking strength, force, manliness, purpose, or intensity <pretty words that make no sense — Elizabeth B. Browning>
4
: moderately large : considerable <a very pretty profit> <cost a pretty penny>
5
: easy to enjoy : pleasant —usually used in negative constructions <reality is not so pretty — Caleb Solomon>
— pret·ti·ly \-tə-lē\ adverb
— pret·ty·ish \-tē-ish\ adjective
See Examples of PRETTY
- He made a pretty profit selling his antique car.
- She received a pretty sum of money.
- This white shape stood apart by the hedge alone. From her position he knew it to be the pretty maiden with whom he had not danced. Trifling as the matter was, he yet instinctively felt that she was hurt by his oversight. —Thomas Hardy, Tess of the D'Urbervilles, 1891
- Darcy, on the contrary, had seen a collection of people in whom there was little beauty and no fashion, for none of whom he had felt the smallest interest, and from none received either attention or pleasure. Miss Bennet he acknowledged to be pretty, but she smiled too much. —Jane Austen, Pride and Prejudice, 1813
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Origin of PRETTY
Middle English praty, prety, from Old English prættig tricky, from prætt trick; akin to Old Norse prettr trick
First Known Use: before 12th century
Related to PRETTY
- Synonyms
- agreeable, blessed (also blest), congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, good, grateful, gratifying, heavenly, jolly, luscious, nice, palatable, pleasing, pleasurable, pleasant, satisfying, savory (also savoury), sweet, tasty, welcome
- Antonyms
- disagreeable, pleasureless, unpalatable, unpleasant, unwelcome
See Synonym Discussion at beautiful
2pret·ty
adverb \ˈpri-tē, ˈpər- also ˈpru̇-; before “near(ly)” often ˈpərt or ˈprit or ˈpru̇t\Definition of PRETTY
1
a : in some degree : moderately <pretty cold weather> b : quite, mainly <the wound was…pretty bad — Walt Whitman>
2
: in a gracefully pleasing manner : prettily <pop vocalists who can sing pretty — Gerald Levitch>
Usage Discussion of PRETTY
Some handbooks complain that pretty is overworked and recommend the selection of a more specific word or restrict pretty to informal or colloquial contexts. Pretty is used to tone down a statement and is in wide use across the whole spectrum of English. It is common in informal speech and writing but is neither rare nor wrong in serious discourse <he may, if he be pretty well off or clever, qualify himself as a doctor — G. B. Shaw> <a return to those traditions of American foreign policy which worked pretty well for over a century — H. S. Commager> <the arguments for buying expensive books have to be pretty cogent — Times Literary Supplement>
Examples of PRETTY
- “Did you put the keys on the table?” “I'm pretty sure I did.”
- The teams are pretty equally matched.
- The work is pretty hard.
- I have to leave pretty soon.
- The movie was pretty good but not great.
- They've accomplished some pretty amazing things.
- She was driving pretty fast.
- By taunting the police, beating drums and throwing rocks, the rioters make it pretty clear that they want not a rational debate but the world's attention … —Fareed Zakaria, Newsweek, 30 Apr. 2001
- … I could pretty much go wherever I felt a story led … —Roy Blount, Jr., New York Times Book Review, 9 Mar. 1986
- … regards most of us as pretty irrevocably plunged in illusion. —Iris Murdoch, The Fire and the Sun, 1977
- The reflected radiance served to show, pretty distinctly, the aspect and arrangement of the room which Hepzibah entered, after descending the stairs. —Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of Seven Gables, 1851
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Origin of PRETTY
(see 1pretty)
First Known Use: 1565
Related to PRETTY
- Synonyms
- enough, kindly [chiefly Southern], kind of, like, moderately, more or less, fairly, quite, rather, relatively, something, somewhat, sort of
3pret·ty
noun \ˈpri-tē, ˈpər- also ˈpru̇-\ plural pretties
Definition of PRETTY
1
plural : dainty clothes; especially : lingerie
2
: a pretty person or thing
Origin of PRETTY
(see 1pretty)
First Known Use: 1736
4pret·ty
transitive verb \same as 3\\ˈpri-tē, ˈpər- also ˈpru̇-\pret·tiedpret·ty·ing
Definition of PRETTY
: to make pretty —usually used with up <curtains to pretty up the room>
Examples of PRETTY
- She prettied the cake with icing, sprinkles, and nuts.
Origin of PRETTY
(see 1pretty)
First Known Use: 1909
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