pretty 1 of 3

1
2
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

3

pretty

2 of 3

adverb

pretty

3 of 3

noun

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a pretty picture
a cute picture
a gorgeous picture
a beautiful picture
a lovely picture
a fabulous picture
a pretty place
a stunning place
a picturesque place
a scenic place
an aesthetic place
a gorgeous place
a pretty dress
a stylish dress
an adorable dress
a fabulous dress
a fashionable dress
a great dress
a pretty name
a lovely name
a neat name
a wonderful name
a pleasant name
a nice name

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

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
From Saturday, March 1, to Saturday, April 12, 2025 pretty Venus goes retrograde. Sophie Saint Thomas, Allure, 28 Feb. 2025 Aimée and Trintignant are movie-star pretty, but Lelouch’s style gives them both a weighty humanity, as do their performances. Carmel Dagan, Variety, 18 June 2024
Adverb
Plenty of grizzled characters smoking big cigars and tearing up losing tickets with disgust, not a pretty picture! David Weiss, Forbes.com, 18 July 2025 Her love of prim pencil skirts and pretty, bright colored blouses continues this season. Gretta Monahan, Boston Herald, 17 July 2025
Noun
And Don’t Tap the Glass is pretty close to being just that. Olivier Lafontant, Pitchfork, 21 July 2025 But to concentrate their efforts on what will benefit the fish the most, scientists still need to answer some pretty fundamental questions about how smelt use their delta. Moira Donovan, Smithsonian Magazine, 21 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for pretty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretty
Adjective
  • So whether your interest involves creating beautiful spaces, improving people's health, or something completely different, there's no reason not to explore its business potential.
    Sarah Hernholm, Forbes.com, 21 July 2025
  • Nicky Hilton Rothschild poses with some beautiful flowers at the Net-a-Porter & Mr Porter Summer in the Hamptons Cocktail Party in Sagaponack, N.Y. on July 17.
    Escher Walcott, People.com, 21 July 2025
Adjective
  • And, the embroidery on the pillowcases adds a nice touch.
    Shalwah Evans, People.com, 14 July 2025
  • The units also vary in shape: the cube is nice for nightstands, while the wider grand size works well on large dressers.
    Jamie Fischer, Better Homes & Gardens, 14 July 2025
Adjective
  • This content is not, nor is intended to be, trading or investment advice or a recommendation that any investment product or strategy is suitable for any person.
    JJ Kinahan, Forbes.com, 16 July 2025
  • Eco-stones made from recycled materials require less water and energy than pumice and are suitable for high-capacity batch processing.
    Angela Velasquez, Sourcing Journal, 15 July 2025
Adverb
  • And yet, Lerman, now 33, manages to keep a relatively low profile.
    Seija Rankin, HollywoodReporter, 25 July 2025
  • The east swelters while Phoenix gets a reprieve While Phoenix has enjoyed relatively tame temperatures for much of July, large swaths of the country are scorching.
    Hayleigh Evans, AZCentral.com, 25 July 2025
Noun
  • David Hockney is a good looker.
    Dodie Kazanjian, Vogue, 1 Apr. 2025
  • New battery technology aside, the keyboard is quite a looker.
    Zackery Cuevas, PCMAG, 7 Jan. 2025
Adjective
  • This week’s picks include a Park Slope two-bedroom with a pair of wood-burning fireplaces and a one-bedroom on Clinton Hill’s historic mansion row with a lovely triple-bay window.
    Matthew Sedacca, Curbed, 22 July 2025
  • Playful and complex, just a lovely wine to enjoy with friends.
    Katie Kelly Bell, Forbes.com, 22 July 2025
Adjective
  • Like, so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart.
    Charna Flam, People.com, 14 July 2025
  • Like so deeply moral and kind and pleasant and smart.
    Natalie Oganesyan, Deadline, 12 July 2025
Adjective
  • Bad guests consider every horizontal surface to be an appropriate trash receptacle.
    Dev Patnaik, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • The guidance encourages agencies to explore alternatives such as artificial intelligence and machine translation where minimal assistance in other languages remains appropriate.
    Kaelan Deese, The Washington Examiner, 14 July 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pretty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretty. Accessed 29 Jul. 2025.

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