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pretty definition

pretty (prit′ē)

adjective prettier -·tier, prettiest -·ti·est

  1. pleasing or attractive in a dainty, delicate, or graceful way rather than through striking beauty, elegance, grandeur, or stateliness
    1. fine; good; nice: often used ironically a pretty fix
    2. adroit; skillful a pretty move
  3. Archaic elegant
  4. Now Chiefly Scot. brave; bold; gallant
  5. Informal considerable; quite large a pretty price

Etymology: ME prati < OE prættig, crafty < prætt, craft, trick

adverb

  1. fairly; somewhat [pretty sure]: sometimes, by hyperbole, quite or very pretty angry
  2. prettier -·tier, prettiest -·ti·estInformal prettily to talk pretty

noun pl. pretties -·ties

a pretty person or thing

transitive verb prettied -·tied, prettying -·ty·ing

to make pretty: usually with up

Related Forms:

pretty Idioms

sitting pretty

☆
Slang in a favorable position

Webster's New World College Dictionary Copyright © 2005 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Alternate definitions:

idioms pretty idiom

pretty Synonyms

pretty

modif.

  1. Attractive

    attractive, comely, lovely, good-looking; see beautiful 1.

  2. Pleasant

    delightful, cheerful, pleasing; see pleasant 2.

  3. *Considerable

    ample, sizeable, notable; see large 1, much 1, 2.

  4. Somewhat

    rather, tolerably, a little; see moderately.

sitting pretty*

in a favorable position, prospering, thriving; see successful. See syn. study at beautiful.


Webster's New World Roget's A-Z Thesaurus Copyright © 1999 by Wiley Publishing, Inc., Cleveland, Ohio.
Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

pretty Usage Examples

Modifies a noun

  • village: The mornings ride was quite blissful, cycling through pretty villages in warm sunshine on long, quiet roads.

Modifying Another Word

  • impossibly: Chipping Campden is another impossibly pretty place with lots of nice little shops, tea-rooms and pubs to while away an hour or two.
pretty usage examples (more)

The word usage examples above have been gathered from various sources to reflect current and historical usage. They do not represent the opinions of YourDictionary.com.

pretty quotes

It can hardly be a coincidence that no language on earth has ever produced the expression'as prettyas an airport'.

-Adams, Douglas Noe«  l

it's a sex object if you're pretty and no love or love and no sex if you're fat

-Giovanni,Nikki in full Yolande CorneliaGiovanni,Jr

Her occasional pretty and picturesque use of dialect wordsöthose terrible marks of the beast to the truly genteel.

-Hardy,Thomas

pretty quotes (more)

Webster's New World Dictionary of Quotations Copyright © 2005 by Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd. All rights reserved. Published by Wiley, Hoboken, NJ. Used by arrangement with John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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MLA Style

"pretty." Webster's New World College Dictionary. 2009

  • Your Dictionary. 5 July 2009
  • <www.yourdictionary.com/pretty>

APA Style

pretty. (2009). In Webster's New World College Dictionary

  • Retrieved July 5th, 2009, from www.yourdictionary.com/pretty

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