pretty
pretty Lexical Profile
pretty Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Attractive in a delicate, graceful, or charming way, rather than strikingly or grandly beautiful.
"She wore a pretty floral dress to the afternoon garden party."
Considerable in size, amount, or extent (often used ironically or in fixed expressions such as 'a pretty penny').
"Repairing the antique clock is going to cost you a pretty penny."
• adverb
To a moderately high degree; fairly or quite.
"The exam was pretty difficult, but most students managed to pass."
• verb
To make attractive or neat in appearance (usually followed by 'up').
"The town council decided to pretty up the main street with hanging flower baskets."
• noun
An attractive person or thing, often used as an affectionate or ironic form of address.
"Come closer, my pretty, and let me show you what I found."
Word Nuance & Usage
While 'prettily' is the standard manner adverb ('she sang prettily'), the flat adverb 'pretty' is used exclusively as an informal degree modifier meaning 'moderately' or 'fairly' ('it is pretty cold outside').
• Rhymes for pretty
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
From Old English 'prættig', meaning 'cunning, skillful, or artful', derived from 'prætt' ('a trick or prank'). During the Middle English period, the sense shifted from 'cleverly made' to 'fine' and eventually 'attractive'.