pretty
pretty
Pronunciation
/ˈprɪti/.
First syllable (/prɪ/):
/p/: Voiceless bilabial plosive
/r/: Alveolar approximant
/ɪ/: Near-close near-front unrounded vowel
Second syllable (/ti/):
/t/: Voiceless alveolar plosive (often realized as a flap [ɾ] in American English, making it [ˈprɪɾi])
/i/: Close front unrounded vowel (often a slightly reduced [ɪ] in unstressed syllables in casual speech, making it [ˈprɪtɪ] or [ˈprɪɾɪ])
Word Form Variations
1. Adjective:
Positive: pretty (e.g., "She has a pretty smile.")
Comparative: prettier (e.g., "Her smile is prettier than mine.")
Superlative: prettiest (e.g., "She has the prettiest smile in the room.")
Related Adjective: prettyish (meaning somewhat pretty)
2. Adverb:
pretty (meaning "quite" or "rather," often informal)
(e.g., "It's pretty cold outside." "I'm pretty sure he's coming.")
prettily (meaning "in a pretty manner" or "gracefully")
(e.g., "She sang prettily." "The ribbons were tied prettily.")
3. Noun:
pretty (plural: pretties)
This is less common in everyday usage but can refer to a pretty person or thing (e.g., "All the pretties gathered for the ball").
4. Verb:
pretty (to make something pretty; adorn)
Present tense: pretty (e.g., "She pretties up the room for guests.")
Past tense: prettied (e.g., "She prettied up the room.")
Present participle: prettying (e.g., "She is prettying up the room.")
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Definition: Pleasing or attractive in a delicate, often charming way, typically used to describe things that are visually appealing but not necessarily grand or strikingly beautiful. Often suggests a pleasant or dainty quality.
Synonyms: attractive, lovely, comely, beautiful, charming, cute, appealing, graceful, elegant, delicate, fetching, bonny (esp. British informal)
Antonyms: ugly, unattractive, unappealing, hideous, repulsive, plain, homely, grotesque, unsightly
Adverb
Definition 1: To a moderately high degree; quite or rather. Used to intensify or qualify an adjective or another adverb, suggesting a significant but not extreme extent.
Synonyms: quite, rather, fairly, somewhat, considerably, reasonably, moderately, rather, somewhat
Antonyms: hardly, barely, scarcely, slightly, barely, not very, hardly at all
Definition 2: In a pleasing, graceful, or charming manner. (Less common than Definition 1, often replaced by "prettily" in formal contexts).
Synonyms: gracefully, charmingly, pleasingly, daintily, elegantly, neatly, delicately
Antonyms: awkwardly, clumsily, ungracefully, inelegantly, unattractively
Noun
Definition: An attractive or pleasing person or thing, often used informally or playfully, sometimes implying a certain delicate or decorative quality.
Synonyms: beauty, charmer, darling, looker (informal), stunner (informal), eyeful (informal), delight, ornament
Antonyms: mess, eyesore, fright, monster, ugly duckling
Verb
Definition: To make something more attractive or pleasing, often by adding decorative elements, tidying, or enhancing its appearance.
Synonyms: beautify, adorn, decorate, embellish, enhance, dress up, spruce up (informal), tidy up, doll up (informal), smarten
Antonyms: disfigure, mar, uglify, spoil, ruin, deface, mess up, uglify
Examples of Use
Books:
"‘Are you still thinking of your pretty things?’ said Miss Havisham, ‘or of your fortune?’" (Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, 1861)
"It was a pretty theory, and she had just enough imagination to be proud of it." (F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby, 1925)
Newspapers:
"The local council approved a budget that is pretty similar to last year's, with minor adjustments for inflation." (The Daily Nation)
"Despite the challenging economic climate, the company's Q1 earnings were pretty strong, exceeding analysts' expectations." (The Wall Street Journal)
Online Publications:
"This new AI model is pretty impressive, capable of generating coherent and contextually relevant text across various topics." (TechCrunch)
"While the movie received mixed reviews, the costume design was universally praised for being pretty innovative and visually striking." (IndieWire)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Television Show (Dialogue): "That was a pretty close call back there, wasn't it?" (Heard in an episode of The Crown)
Song Lyrics: "Oh, you're pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty / Oh, you're pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty, pretty." (From the song "Pretty" by The Weeknd, 2013)
Movie Review: "The film's ending was pretty divisive, leaving many viewers debating its true meaning." (Source: Rotten Tomatoes review for a major release)
Podcast: "Our guest today offers a pretty unique perspective on the future of renewable energy." (Heard on The Daily podcast)
General Public Discourse:
"I'm pretty tired after that long flight, but I'm excited to explore the city." (Common conversational use)
"The weather forecast says it's going to be pretty hot this weekend, so remember to stay hydrated." (Casual conversation)
"That new restaurant in town has a pretty good reputation; we should try it sometime." (Word-of-mouth recommendation)
10 Quotes Using Pretty
"All little girls should be told they are pretty, even if they aren't." (Marilyn Monroe)
"Any man who can drive safely while kissing a pretty girl is simply not giving the kiss the attention it deserves." (Albert Einstein)
"Love is the most important thing in the world, but baseball is pretty good, too." (Yogi Berra)
"It's your outlook on life that counts. If you take yourself lightly and don't take yourself too seriously, pretty soon you can find the humor in our everyday lives." (Betty White)
"I was about half in love with her by the time we sat down. That's the thing about girls. Every time they do something pretty... you fall half in love with them, and then you never know where the hell you are." (J.D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye)
"It is easier to be a lover than a husband for the simple reason that it is more difficult to be witty every day than to say pretty things from time to time." (Honoré de Balzac)
"I don't think it's fair for some girls to have plenty of pretty things, and other girls nothing at all." (Louisa May Alcott, Little Women)
"It's not a pretty world, Papa." (Chaim Potok, My Name Is Asher Lev)
"Who cares about pretty? I'm going for noticeable." (Veronica Roth, Divergent)
"If only we'd stop trying to be happy we'd have a pretty good time." (Edith Wharton)
Etymology
The word "pretty" has quite a surprising journey through history! It didn't start out meaning "attractive" at all.
Its origins trace back to Old English, before the year 1000. The word was prættig (or prettī) and it meant something closer to "cunning, tricky, sly, or skillful." Imagine someone being "pretty" in the sense of being clever or good at a craft, perhaps even a bit sneaky. This original meaning came from an even older root word, prætt, which literally meant "a trick, wile, or craft." So, think of it as originally related to someone who had "tricks" up their sleeve.
Over time, during the Middle English period (roughly 1100s-1400s), the meaning of "pretty" began to shift. It evolved to mean "cleverly made" or "ingenious," and then later "fine," "pleasing," or even "gallant" (especially for men).
It wasn't until around the 15th century that "pretty" started to take on the meaning of "pleasing to the eye" or "beautiful in a slight way," particularly when describing women or things that were delicate and charming rather than grandly beautiful.
The use of "pretty" as an adverb, meaning "quite" or "rather" (like "pretty good"), is a later development, becoming common around the mid-1500s. This usage likely came from the idea of something being "considerably good" or "sizable" – a "pretty" amount.
So, the word has undergone a fascinating transformation from describing someone cunning to something aesthetically pleasing, and then finally to acting as an intensifier.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Pretty
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "pretty":
Pretty Penny: A considerable amount of money, often a large sum.
Sitting Pretty: In a fortunate, advantageous, or comfortable position.
Pretty Please: A very polite and emphatic way of asking for something.
Pretty as a Picture: Very attractive or beautiful.
Pretty Much: Almost entirely; to a great extent.
Pretty Good: Quite good; satisfactory.
Pretty Boy: (Often derogatory) A man considered effeminate or overly concerned with his appearance.
Pretty Kettle of Fish: A difficult or awkward situation (often used sarcastically as "a fine/pretty kettle of fish").
Not a Pretty Sight: Something unpleasant or unattractive to look at.
Pretty Damn Quick (or PDQ): Very quickly; as fast as possible.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of pretty from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
