pretty 1 of 3

pretty

2 of 3

adjective

1
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

2
3

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
Adverb
This should sound pretty familiar to Costco shoppers, as store associates already check receipts on the way out the door. Melissa Locker, Southern Living, 3 June 2025 Binghamton centerfielder Nick Morabito was 1-for-3 with an infield single that went about 10 feet, showing off plus speed, and he was caught looking on a pretty good pitch to hit. Keith Law, New York Times, 2 June 2025
Adjective
That’s top-10-player-in-the-league territory, a pretty grand aspiration for Knies. Jonas Siegel, New York Times, 31 May 2025 My essentials are a glowy base, flushed cheeks, sculpted brows, and a glossy lip— just enough to feel pretty and put together with little effort. Conçetta Ciarlo, Vogue, 31 May 2025
Noun
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 See All Example Sentences for pretty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretty
Adverb
  • And what about billionaire Angeleno Rick Caruso, a relatively recent entrant to the Democratic Party?
    Julia Wick, Los Angeles Times, 7 June 2025
  • Being more affordable and without a human in the cockpit makes each unit relatively more expendable, adding versatility to how they are deployed in combat situations.
    Jake Goodrick, Sacbee.com, 7 June 2025
Adjective
  • That this wrap-up happens on the stoop of an apartment building provides a nice callback to Past Lives.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2025
  • The building has a couple of nice fireplaces, Maletta noted, and a campfire area outside.
    Doug Ross, Chicago Tribune, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • Time for Thorough Searches: Interim appointments allow boards the necessary time to conduct comprehensive searches for suitable permanent leaders.
    Solange Charas, Forbes.com, 31 May 2025
  • This work will reveal insights about the quasi-moon and help the team select a suitable sampling site.
    Mike Wall, Space.com, 29 May 2025
Adjective
  • Look at this, beautiful, beautiful, beautiful building.
    Lisa Gutierrez, Kansas City Star, 3 June 2025
  • In the back of The Testaments is a beautiful dedication to me and some of the cast members.
    Jackie Strause, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 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
Adverb
  • That’s actually a quite accurate way to describe it — a clean version of Blade Runner.
    Patrick Brzeski, HollywoodReporter, 3 June 2025
  • While the former first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills hasn’t quite found his footing in the league just yet, the early returns have been positive enough to give the coaching staff more confidence in a depleted cornerback room at the moment.
    Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 June 2025
Adjective
  • Comedy is also having a moment because of people are looking for a pleasant escape given the political nightmare currently gripping this nation.
    Michael Schneider, Variety, 9 June 2025
  • This modern adaptation of a traditional country farmhouse features a welcoming front porch, which has ample room for two or three people to sit and relax on a pleasant day.
    James Alexander, Hartford Courant, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • The authorities in California and Los Angeles were taking the appropriate actions.
    Eleanor Mueller, semafor.com, 10 June 2025
  • Measurable: Evaluate reasoning quality by tracking consistency across different scenarios, measuring response accuracy under varying complexity levels, and assessing appropriate uncertainty expression rather than just confidence metrics.
    Cornelia C. Walther, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Pretty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretty. Accessed 15 Jun. 2025.

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