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Definition of prettynext
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as in nice
giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses she was not a pretty sight after she fell off her horse and into the mud

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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pretty

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adverb

pretty

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective pretty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of pretty are beautiful, comely, fair, handsome, and lovely. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," pretty often applies to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness.

a painter of conventionally pretty scenes

When is beautiful a more appropriate choice than pretty?

The words beautiful and pretty can be used in similar contexts, but beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.

beautiful mountain scenery

How do comely and handsome relate to one another, in the sense of pretty?

Comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.

the comely grace of a dancer

Where would fair be a reasonable alternative to pretty?

In some situations, the words fair and pretty are roughly equivalent. However, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.

fair of face

When might handsome be a better fit than pretty?

While in some cases nearly identical to pretty, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.

a handsome Georgian mansion

How are the words lovely and beautiful related as synonyms of pretty?

Lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite.

a lovely melody

How does the adjective pretty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of pretty are beautiful, comely, fair, handsome, and lovely. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," pretty often applies to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness.

a painter of conventionally pretty scenes

When is beautiful a more appropriate choice than pretty?

The words beautiful and pretty can be used in similar contexts, but beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.

beautiful mountain scenery

How do comely and handsome relate to one another, in the sense of pretty?

Comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.

the comely grace of a dancer

Where would fair be a reasonable alternative to pretty?

In some situations, the words fair and pretty are roughly equivalent. However, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.

fair of face

When might handsome be a better fit than pretty?

While in some cases nearly identical to pretty, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.

a handsome Georgian mansion

How are the words lovely and beautiful related as synonyms of pretty?

Lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite.

a lovely melody

How does the adjective pretty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of pretty are beautiful, comely, fair, handsome, and lovely. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," pretty often applies to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness.

a painter of conventionally pretty scenes

When is beautiful a more appropriate choice than pretty?

The words beautiful and pretty can be used in similar contexts, but beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.

beautiful mountain scenery

How do comely and handsome relate to one another, in the sense of pretty?

Comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.

the comely grace of a dancer

Where would fair be a reasonable alternative to pretty?

In some situations, the words fair and pretty are roughly equivalent. However, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.

fair of face

When might handsome be a better fit than pretty?

While in some cases nearly identical to pretty, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.

a handsome Georgian mansion

How are the words lovely and beautiful related as synonyms of pretty?

Lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite.

a lovely melody

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pretty
Adjective
There’s plenty of spring-friendly bedding worth shopping, too, like this pretty comforter with feminine ruffle details or a cooling blanket that thousands of hot sleepers swear by. Stephanie Osmanski, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026 This pretty east-side cafe lies just below the Humboldt Bridge, with not much else nearby but some apartments and the Milwaukee River. Usa Today Network, USA Today, 17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
Before the war, oil prices were pretty stable around $60 a barrel. ABC News, 22 Apr. 2026 Beating a team by 35 points is pretty much just what the Thunder do. David Troy Outkick, FOXNews.com, 22 Apr. 2026
Noun
From Saturday, March 1, to Saturday, April 12, 2025 pretty Venus goes retrograde. Sophie Saint Thomas, Allure, 28 Feb. 2025 Situated in the scenic village of Alfriston, the hotel is surrounded by a bustling community famed for throwing fetes and fayres on the ‘Tye’ (the village green), the sweeping South Downs National Park and chocolate-box-pretty pubs. Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for pretty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretty
Adjective
  • Lindsay Lohan has a beautiful bouquet of flowers in hand on set for Count My Lies in New York City on April 20.
    Katie Hill, PEOPLE, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Fall is cooler and quieter, and while the sequoias stay green year-round, other trees—like maples, dogwoods, and black oaks—start to transition into beautiful autumnal colors, especially in October.
    Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • So borrowing those things on Buy Nothing is really nice.
    Dania Maxwell, Los Angeles Times, 22 Apr. 2026
  • Both Guerrero and Offerman were full of nice things to say about Kidman, who had just one day to shoot her wrestling scene and the previous day to rehearse it, for which Guerrero flew to Nashville to train with Kidman in a boxing gym alongside her stunt double, former wrestler Danielle Moinet.
    Scarlett Harris, IndieWire, 22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • On the other half, Lind had put down gravel and installed empty shipping containers and trailers suitable for potential tenants.
    Tessa Stuart, Rolling Stone, 23 Apr. 2026
  • This two-in-one offering gives you two family-friendly, side-scrolling games that are suitable for one to four players.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 23 Apr. 2026
Adverb
  • Some muskie anglers are speaking out strongly against FFS because those treasured and relatively rare fish are being caught at rates unheard of until the advent of this new technology.
    Mike McFeely, Twin Cities, 24 Apr. 2026
  • Depending on the results of NASA’s toilet investigation, future changes to the design could include adding a heater or adjusting the flow of air or water in the venting lines—relatively minor tweaks in the grand scheme of things.
    Jackie Flynn Mogensen, Scientific American, 23 Apr. 2026
Noun
  • Harry Melling is a late-blooming looker.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
  • The more renowned the art, the greater the number of clueless lookers, joyless collectors, donors in search of tax breaks, and steroidal museums.
    Jackson Arn, Harpers Magazine, 30 Dec. 2025
Adjective
  • Thanks to that lovely wide field of view, Roman will be able to rapidly image tons of galaxies to generate detailed, 3D vistas of the cosmos.
    Monisha Ravisetti, Space.com, 21 Apr. 2026
  • This lovely semi-evergreen groundcover (Pachysandra procumbens) is ideal for shaded woodlands.
    Teresa Woodard, Midwest Living, 21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • His voice and his music are unfailingly tasteful and pleasant, which is a key part of both his appeal and limitations.
    George Varga, San Diego Union-Tribune, 24 Apr. 2026
  • The daily afternoon tea in Horizons is also extremely pleasant (don’t skip on the chicken sandwiches, which were more my beat than the scones and jam).
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 23 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • People in this area are urged to properly dispose of cigarette butts, matches, and any other flammable items in appropriate containers.
    NC Weather Bot, Charlotte Observer, 25 Apr. 2026
  • Oh my gosh, ticked off is not the appropriate word.
    Ticked Off, The Orlando Sentinel, 25 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pretty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretty. Accessed 26 Apr. 2026.

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