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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
  • In the world of higher ed, there’s long been an insistence that college is for everyone, but this has resulted in many graduates unable to find suitable jobs; the employment prospects of English majors—or even computer-science grads—are looking increasingly grim.
    Emma Green, New Yorker, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Shoppers note that the fabric is soft to the touch and the ideal weight for spring and summer when used by itself, or suitable for year-round use in milder climates.
    Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 17 Apr. 2026
Adverb
  • The cuts are required because of employee pay raises, including 23% hikes over three years that were awarded to most workers in 2023, and relatively sluggish growth in city revenue.
    Noah Lyons, San Diego Union-Tribune, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Organized as perimeter courtyard blocks, this approach could balance density with green space, support a mix of large and small units, and accommodate both ownership and rental housing within relatively low-cost, midrise buildings.
    Alicia Pederson, Chicago Tribune, 16 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
  • Great andouille sausages are balanced, with a pleasant amount of smoke, savory meat flavor, just enough heat to linger on your tongue after each bite, and a pleasant amount of salt to amplify it all.
    Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 17 Apr. 2026
  • Occasionally my therapist would have a delicious-smelling soup on simmer in another part of the house — not a design choice, but a pleasant sensory experience in the background.
    Wendy C. Ortiz, Los Angeles Times, 16 Apr. 2026
Adjective
  • There are no winners in wildfire; however, the Court's decision supports PacifiCorp's longstanding belief that this process was prejudicial and not appropriate for managing wildfire litigation.
    Alex Crippen, CNBC, 11 Apr. 2026
  • Federal education law requires that all students with disabilities have access to a free and appropriate public education.
    Becca Savransky, Idaho Statesman, 11 Apr. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pretty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretty. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.

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