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

Try This Instead

For
Try This
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
The numbers are getting pretty big for a lot of guys and max salaries in this league, who does that go to? Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 10 May 2025 Team value becomes pretty much irrelevant now and information trumps all. Abdul Rehman, New York Times, 9 May 2025
Adjective
Garfinkel, also the Miami Dolphins’ CEO, should be feeling pretty ebullient these days. David J. Neal, Miami Herald, 6 May 2025 Kendall Jenner, however, has kept it pretty chill this weekend. Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 4 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
  • While the concept of a unisex scent is relatively tame in 2025, the fragrance still holds up.
    Ariel Wodarcyk, Glamour, 2 May 2025
  • That’s also true of the relatively small number of people who actually vote in Democratic primaries.
    Bradley Tusk, New York Daily News, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • There may be a nice bunch of grapes, a couple slices of melon, and a hunk of juicy homegrown tomato.
    Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 3 May 2025
  • Elite firepower, stingy defense, and all-world goaltending to tie a nice bow on it.
    The Athletic NHL, New York Times, 3 May 2025
Adjective
  • These options provide faster data transfer rates and are more suitable for today's high-volume data needs.
    Gene Marks, Forbes.com, 4 May 2025
  • The fan also has a larger size that is suitable for bathrooms up to 150 square feet.
    Molly Blanco, Better Homes & Gardens, 2 May 2025
Adjective
  • Churches aren’t just beautiful buildings that uplift New York.
    New York Daily News Editorial Board, New York Daily News, 10 May 2025
  • The property has beautiful minimalist, modern design with pops of natural wood accents and stunning views of the nearby Blue Ridge Mountains.
    Kimberley Mok, Travel + Leisure, 9 May 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
  • Almost, but not quite spontaneously, Adam and Teddy take off in Teddy’s truck, heading north, maybe to the arctic, maybe to just get out of town for a bit.
    John Warner, Chicago Tribune, 10 May 2025
  • Montverde won the final event, the 4×400 relay, in 3 minutes 45.5 seconds but that wasn’t quite enough.
    Buddy Collings, The Orlando Sentinel, 10 May 2025
Adjective
  • Thus, a trip to a coin-exchange kiosk (or a bank, or credit union) can yield a pleasant surprise.
    Daniel de Visé, USA Today, 4 May 2025
  • There are many pleasant features of playoff basketball.
    Shane Young, Forbes.com, 1 May 2025
Adjective
  • The Dallas starters were a little out of sorts, and Bueckers struggled to find the appropriate balance between hunting her shot and feeding her teammates.
    Sabreena Merchant, New York Times, 3 May 2025
  • Finally, be sure your timers are set to the appropriate schedule.
    Rita Pelczar, Better Homes & Gardens, 3 May 2025

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Pretty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretty. Accessed 13 May. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on pretty

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!