1
as in dude
a man extremely interested in his clothing and personal appearance
a downtown dance club with lots of pretty boys in attendance
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stud
a physically attractive man
as a musical performer, he has yet to prove that he's more than just another pretty boy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretty boy
At Hartford Stage, Rafael Jordan plays Sterling as a smooth-talking pretty boy who seems unwilling to get his hands dirty.
—
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 Feb. 2025
Scott’s Tom Ripley was a clean break from that of Matt Damon; instead of a petulant pretty boy seized by envy and lust, this Ripley was older (Scott is in his late forties) and scarier, a lonesome manipulator with a murderous gleam in his eye.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
How to adopt: Interested adopters can meet pretty boy Pepper at the Arizona Humane Society’s South Mountain location.
—The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 21 Jan. 2023
Austin Butler’s version of Elvis is a sulky pretty boy with smokey-eye makeup, loud silk shirts, and lips the color and texture of bubblegum.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 24 June 2022
Brave, brilliant, ugly Cyrano yearns for Roxane (Evelyn Miller), who has fallen in love with pretty boy Christian (Eben Figueiredo), a soldier who has just enlisted in Cyrano’s tough-talking military regiment.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2022
John Boyega plays Dahomey’s young king, Ghezo, a benevolent if somewhat pretty boy leader who takes on soft diplomacy while deploying his Agojie to collect the heads of his enemies.
—Tribune News Service, cleveland, 16 Sep. 2022
This was the last time Leo would try to headline a big-budget movie still looking like the pretty boy of Titanic; after this, his next four films were for either Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 29 Dec. 2021
To compare his 1955 Newman, a pretty boy whose smile is a quick squiggle, with the Newman of 2002, his features still handsome but etched by the passage of a half-century, is an epitome in two drawings of Hirschfeld’s art.
—Terry Teachout, WSJ, 6 Apr. 2021
Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 Feb. 2025
Scott’s Tom Ripley was a clean break from that of Matt Damon; instead of a petulant pretty boy seized by envy and lust, this Ripley was older (Scott is in his late forties) and scarier, a lonesome manipulator with a murderous gleam in his eye.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
How to adopt: Interested adopters can meet pretty boy Pepper at the Arizona Humane Society’s South Mountain location.
—The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 21 Jan. 2023
Austin Butler’s version of Elvis is a sulky pretty boy with smokey-eye makeup, loud silk shirts, and lips the color and texture of bubblegum.
—Katie Rife, Vulture, 24 June 2022
Brave, brilliant, ugly Cyrano yearns for Roxane (Evelyn Miller), who has fallen in love with pretty boy Christian (Eben Figueiredo), a soldier who has just enlisted in Cyrano’s tough-talking military regiment.
—Helen Shaw, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2022
John Boyega plays Dahomey’s young king, Ghezo, a benevolent if somewhat pretty boy leader who takes on soft diplomacy while deploying his Agojie to collect the heads of his enemies.
—Tribune News Service, cleveland, 16 Sep. 2022
This was the last time Leo would try to headline a big-budget movie still looking like the pretty boy of Titanic; after this, his next four films were for either Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 29 Dec. 2021
To compare his 1955 Newman, a pretty boy whose smile is a quick squiggle, with the Newman of 2002, his features still handsome but etched by the passage of a half-century, is an epitome in two drawings of Hirschfeld’s art.
—Terry Teachout, WSJ, 6 Apr. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretty boy
Noun
-
The long-term late-night hosts are now, and have always been, dudes.—
Robert Lloyd,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2025
-
Great dude, knows how to uplift your spirit, knows always the right thing to say at the right moment.—
Sam Amick,
New York Times,
1 May 2025
Noun
-
However, Daniels, along with some other younger defensive studs, such as Evan Mobley, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Luguentz Dort, also can make a case given their importance to their team's defenses.—
David Faris,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 Apr. 2025
-
Kesha wore a black leather biker jacket with silver hardware, zippers and studs, layered with a pink T-shirt and tiny shorts underneath.—
WWD Staff,
Footwear News,
11 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
Hudson accompanied her beau to the interview, wearing a matching sweatshirt with Belichick.—
Natasha Dye,
People.com,
28 Apr. 2025
-
Monica also was seen watching Brown’s headlining performance from the side of the stage next to Breezy’s manager and her beau, Anthony Wilson.—
Amber Corrine,
VIBE.com,
21 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The original dandy—most famously embodied by figures like Beau Brummell in 18th-century Britain—was a man whose primary purpose was to stand out by being impeccably groomed and dressed.—
Ty Gaskins,
Vogue,
29 Apr. 2025
-
The Incroyables in France and Beau Brummell dandies were satirized by cartoonists for their corseting and groin-centric trouser display.—
Sarah Mower,
Vogue,
19 Mar. 2022
Noun
-
The island is home to over 260 bird species, as well as other animals like alligators and foxes.—
Kaitlyn Yarborough,
Southern Living,
17 Apr. 2025
-
The foxes, however, eat the hares and thus limit their population.—
Manon Bischoff,
Scientific American,
16 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
New cast members include Oscar nominee Allison Janney, Italian hunk Michele Morrone, and Glee star Alex Newell.—
Randall Colburn,
EW.com,
1 May 2025
-
As a result, and unlike most hunks of space junk that re-enter, this half-ton oven-sized beast is likely to impact the surface of Earth.—
Eric Mack,
Forbes.com,
29 Apr. 2025
Noun
-
The filmmakers ensure that viewers similar in age to the kids on screen get an eyeful of what those robotics gatherings are like for their contestants, who arrive from all over the globe.—
Lisa Kennedy,
Variety,
7 Mar. 2025
-
Overall, Printemps New York is a multifaceted, visual eyeful, where the architecture and decor might overwhelm the merchandise for some.—
David Moin,
WWD,
3 Mar. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Pretty boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretty%20boy. Accessed 5 May. 2025.
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