Link Centre Dictionary

pretty

UK/ˈpɹɪt.i/ US/ˈpɹɪt.i/ very common uk
adverb (1) adjective (2)

adverb

1.

used as an intensifier (`jolly'' is used informally in Britain)

  • “pretty big”
  • “pretty bad”
  • “jolly decent of him”
Synonyms

adjective

1.

pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

  • “pretty girl”
  • “pretty song”
  • “pretty room”
Similar
2.

(used ironically) unexpectedly bad

  • “a pretty mess”
  • “a pretty kettle of fish”
Similar

Origin

From Middle English prety, preti, praty, prati, from Old English prættiġ (“tricky, crafty, sly, cunning, wily, astute”), from Proto-West Germanic *prattug, from Proto-Germanic *prattugaz (“boastful, sly, slick, deceitful, tricky, cunning”), corresponding to prat (“trick”) + -y. Doublet of pratty. Cognate with Dutch prettig (“nice, pleasant”), Low German prettig (“funny”), Icelandic prettugur (“deceitful, tricky”). For the semantic development, compare canny, clever, cute.

Phrases

  • don't worry your pretty little head
  • just another pretty face
  • not a pretty sight
  • not just a pretty face
  • not just another pretty face
  • play pretty
  • pretty as a picture
  • pretty as a speckled pup
  • Pretty Beach
  • Pretty Good Privacy
  • pretty much
  • pretty well

Related words

Word family

WordNet 2.1 (Princeton University). Wiktionary (CC BY-SA). CMU Pronouncing Dictionary. WordNet 2.1 Copyright Princeton University. All rights reserved. Wiktionary content is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike Licence.