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pretty adverb /ˈprɪti/ /ˈprɪti/ with adjectives and adverbs (rather informal)Idioms jump to other results to some extent; fairly- The game was pretty good.
- I'm pretty sure I'll be going.
- It's pretty hard to explain.
- I'm going to have to find a new apartment pretty soon.
Which Word? quite / fairly / rather / prettyquite / fairly / rather / prettyLook at these examples:- The exam was fairly difficult.
- The exam was quite difficult.
- The exam was rather difficult.
- Quite is a little stronger than fairly, and rather is a little stronger than quite. Rather is not very common in North American English; pretty has the same meaning and this is used in informal British English too:
- The exam was pretty difficult.
- In British English quite has two meanings: (= fairly tired). With adjectives that describe an extreme state (‘non-gradable’ adjectives) it means ‘completely’ or ‘absolutely’: With some adjectives, both meanings are possible. The speaker’s stress and intonation will show you which is meant: (= fairly good—it could be better); (= very good, especially when this is unexpected).
- In North American English quite usually means something like ‘very’, not ‘fairly’ or ‘rather’. Pretty is used instead for this sense.
very- That performance was pretty impressive.
- Things are looking pretty good!
- The idea sounds pretty cool.
- We were pretty disappointed with the quality of the food.
Extra Examples- It came at the end of a pretty miserable week.
- Flying those planes was pretty hard work.
Word OriginOld English prættig; related to Middle Dutch pertich ‘brisk, clever’, obsolete Dutch prettig ‘humorous, sporty’, from a West Germanic base meaning ‘trick’. The sense development ‘deceitful, cunning, clever, skilful, admirable, pleasing, nice’ has parallels in adjectives such as canny, fine, nice, etc.
Idioms - (informal) to be in a good situation, especially when others are not
- With profits at record levels, the company’s certainly sitting pretty this year.
pretty much/well (British English also pretty nearly) (North American English also pretty near) - (informal) almost; almost completely
- One dog looks pretty much like another to me.
- He goes out pretty well every night.
- The first stage is pretty near finished.
pretty adjective /ˈprɪti/ /ˈprɪti/ (comparative prettier, superlative prettiest) Idioms jump to other results (especially of a woman, or a girl) attractive without being very beautiful- a pretty face
- a very pretty girl
- You look so pretty in that dress!
- She's very attractive, though not conventionally pretty.
Synonyms beautifulbeautiful- pretty
- handsome
- attractive
- lovely
- good-looking
- gorgeous
These words all describe people who are pleasant to look at.- beautiful (especially of a woman or girl) very pleasant to look at:
- She looked stunningly beautiful that night.
- pretty (especially of a girl or woman) pleasant to look at:
- She’s got a very pretty face.
Pretty is used most often to talk about girls. When it is used to talk about a woman, it usually suggests that she is like a girl, with small, delicate features. - handsome (of a man) pleasant to look at; (of a woman) pleasant to look at, with large strong features rather than small delicate ones:
- He was described as ‘tall, dark and handsome’.
- attractive (of a person) pleasant to look at, especially in a sexual way:
- She’s a very attractive woman.
- lovely (of a person) beautiful; very attractive:
- She looked particularly lovely that night.
When you describe somebody as lovely, you are usually showing that you also like them very much. - good-looking (of a person) pleasant to look at, often in a sexual way:
- She arrived with a very good-looking man.
- gorgeous (informal) (of a person) extremely attractive, especially in a sexual way:
attractive or good-looking?If you describe somebody as attractive you often also mean that they have a pleasant personality as well as being pleasant to look at; good-looking just describes somebody’s physical appearance.Patterns- a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking/gorgeous girl/woman
- a(n) beautiful/handsome/attractive/good-looking/gorgeous boy/man
- a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking face
Topics Appearancea1Oxford Collocations DictionaryverbsadverbSee full entry (of places or things) attractive and pleasant to look at or to listen to without being large, beautiful or impressive- pretty clothes
- a pretty garden
- Lydia—what a pretty name!
- That's a pretty flower—what's it called?
- The canal looked prettiest at night.
- (figurative) He was hired to make the company pretty and then sell it off.
Oxford Collocations DictionaryverbsadverbSee full entry Word OriginOld English prættig; related to Middle Dutch pertich ‘brisk, clever’, obsolete Dutch prettig ‘humorous, sporty’, from a West Germanic base meaning ‘trick’. The sense development ‘deceitful, cunning, clever, skilful, admirable, pleasing, nice’ has parallels in adjectives such as canny, fine, nice, etc.
Idioms - (old-fashioned) very pretty
- She’s as pretty as a picture.
More Like This Similes in idiomsSimiles in idioms- (as) bald as a coot
- (as) blind as a bat
- (as) bright as a button
- (as) bold as brass
- as busy as a bee
- as clean as a whistle
- (as) dead as a/the dodo
- (as) deaf as a post
- (as) dull as ditchwater
- (as) fit as a fiddle
- as flat as a pancake
- (as) good as gold
- (as) mad as a hatter/a March hare
- (as) miserable/ugly as sin
- as old as the hills
- (as) pleased/proud as Punch
- as pretty as a picture
- (as) regular as clockwork
- (as) quick as a flash
- (as) safe as houses
- (as) sound as a bell
- (as) steady as a rock
- (as) thick as two short planks
- (as) tough as old boots
come to a pretty pass (also come to such a pass) - (old-fashioned or humorous) to reach a sad or difficult state
- I never thought things would come to this pretty pass.
- Things have come to a pretty pass when we can’t afford to pay the heating bills!
- (humorous) used to emphasize that you have particular skills or qualities
- ‘I didn't know you could play the piano.’ ‘I'm not just a pretty face, you know!’
- (humorous) not pleasant to look at
- You should have seen him in his swimming trunks—not a pretty sight!
- (old-fashioned) a lot of money
- I bet that cost you a pretty penny.
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