Pretty — Meaning, Definition & Synonyms

adjective adverb noun verb /ˈpri-tē/ pret·ty

Meaning & Definition of Pretty

Pretty (adjective)

  1. artful, clever
  2. pat, apt
  3. pleasing by delicacy or grace

Pretty (adverb)

  1. in some degree, moderately
  2. quite, mainly
  3. in a gracefully pleasing manner, prettily

Pretty (noun)

  1. dainty clothes; especially, lingerie
  2. a pretty person or thing

Pretty (verb)

  1. to make pretty —usually used with up

Pretty (adjective) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. very pleasing to look at

    "a pretty young girl"

    similar: aesthetic, attractive, beauteous, beautiful, bonny (chiefly British), comely, cute, drop-dead, fair, fetching, good, good-looking, goodly, gorgeous, handsome, knockout, likely, lovely, lovesome, ravishing, seemly, sightly, stunning, taking, well-favored
    related: alluring, appealing, charming, cunning, delightful, engaging, fascinating, glamorous, prepossessing, elegant, exquisite, glorious, Junoesque, magnificent, resplendent, splendid, statuesque, sublime, superb, flawless, perfect, radiant, dainty, delicate, personable, pleasant, presentable, chocolate-box, prettyish, desirable, dishy, dollish, foxy, hot, luscious, nubile, pulchritudinous, seductive, sexy, toothsome, hunky, studly (slang), arresting, eye-catching, flamboyant, flashy, glossy, showstopping, showy, slick, snazzy, splashy, striking, zingy, photogenic, telegenic
    opposite: grotesque, hideous, homely, ill-favored, plain, ugly, unaesthetic, unattractive, unbeautiful, uncomely, uncute, unhandsome, unlovely, unpleasing, unpretty, unsightly
    near: abhorrent, abominable, bad, disagreeable, disgusting, dreadful, foul, frightful, ghastly, horrible, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, objectionable, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, shocking, sickening, terrible, vile, unappealing, unappetizing, unimposing, unpleasant, unprepossessing, frumpish, frumpy, unbecoming, unshapely

  2. giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses

    "she was not a pretty sight after she fell off her horse and into the mud"

    similar: agreeable, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, good, grateful, gratifying, heavenly, jolly, luscious, nice, palatable, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, satisfying, savory, sweet, tasty, welcome
    related: alluring, attractive, desirable, enviable, inviting, relishable, tempting, charming, enchanting, fascinating, calming, comforting, soothing, amusing, diverting, entertaining, recreative, affable, amiable, cheerful, cheery, comfortable, gemütlich, genial, goodly, good-natured, gracious, hospitable, kindly, personable, blissful, felicific, glad, happy, joyous, elating, exhilarating, intoxicating, ecstatic, euphoric, nirvanic, rapturous
    opposite: disagreeable, pleasureless, unpalatable, unpleasant, unwelcome
    near: abominable, ghastly, god-awful, hellish, horrid, miserable, wretched, bilious, disgusting, distasteful, obnoxious, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revulsive, unsavory, vile, yucky, abhorrent, detestable, hateful, odious, boring, commonplace, dull, flat, insipid, irksome, stale, tedious, displeasing, dissatisfying, depressing, disheartening, dismal, dreary, gloomy, heartbreaking, heartrending, joyless, lachrymose, sad, unhappy, deplorable, doleful, dolorous, lamentable, lugubrious, mournful, regrettable, sorrowful, tragic, aggravating, annoying, exasperating, irritating, peeving, perturbing, vexing, forbidding, hostile, intimidating, angering, enraging, incensing, inflaming, infuriating, maddening, outraging, rankling, riling, distressing, disturbing, upsetting

  3. meeting the requirements of a purpose or situation

    "their misalliance is as pretty an example of an ill-conceived marriage as you're likely to find"

    similar: applicable, appropriate, apt, becoming, befitting, felicitous, fit, fitted, fitting, good, happy, meet, proper, right, suitable, in order
    related: condign, deserved, just, justified, needed, required, requisite, able, capable, competent, cut out, qualified, trained, pitch-perfect, acceptable, adequate, decent, kosher, satisfactory, serviceable, tolerable, correct, decorous, respectable, seemly, balanced, companionate, congruous, consonant, harmonious, rightful
    opposite: improper, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, indecent, infelicitous, malapropos, misbecoming, unapt, unbecoming, unbeseeming, unfit, unfitting, unhappy, unmeet, unseemly, unsuitable, wrong
    near: incapable, incompetent, inept, inexpert, unqualified, unskilled, unskillful, untrained, inadequate, intolerable, unacceptable, unsatisfactory, graceless, incorrect, indecorous, incompatible, uncongenial

Pretty (adverb) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. to some degree or extent

    "we've had some pretty cold weather lately"

    similar: enough, fairly, kind of, kindly (chiefly Southern), like, moderately, more or less, quite, rather, relatively, something, somewhat, sort of, a bit, after a sort, a little, a mite, a tad, a touch, of sorts, to a degree
    related: acceptably, decently, passably, tolerably, little, negligibly, nominally, slightly, vaguely, half, halfway, incompletely, part, partially, partly, partway
    near: awfully, beastly, deadly, especially, exceedingly, exceptionally, extremely, frightfully, greatly, heavily, highly, hugely, mightily, mortally, particularly, surpassingly, terribly, very, considerably, extensively, significantly, substantially

Pretty (noun) — Senses, Synonyms & Antonyms

  1. as in dish, doll

    similar: cutie-pie, dish, doll, dreamboat (slang), hottie, looker, houri, coquette, femme fatale, siren, temptress, vamp, bathing beauty, cover girl, pinup girl, belle, charmer, peach, babe, beauty, beauty queen, cookie, cutie, dolly bird (British), enchantress, eyeful, fox, goddess, honey, knockout, queen, stunner
    opposite: bag, frump, crone, hag, witch

Related Entry: Pretty (up) (verb)

Pretty (up) is a different word from Pretty. The synonyms below are for pretty (up), not for pretty.

  1. to make more attractive by adding something that is beautiful or becoming

    "you could pretty up the room rather inexpensively simply by painting it"

    similar: adorn, array, beautify, bedeck, bedizen, blazon, caparison, deck, decorate, do, do up, doll up, drape, dress, embellish, emblaze, emboss, enrich, fancify, fancy up, festoon, garnish, glitz (up), grace, gussy up, ornament, trim
    related: accessorize, dress up, trap, trick (out), brighten, freshen, smarten, spruce (up), boss, chase, braid, embroider, feather, figure, filigree, fillet, flounce, frill, fringe, furbelow, garland, hang, lace, ribbon, swag, wreathe, appliqué, gild, paint, diamond, gem, impearl, jewel, pearl, redecorate, redo
    opposite: blemish, deface, disfigure, mar, scar, spoil
    near: simplify, streamline, bare, denude, dismantle, display, divest, expose, reveal, strip, uncover, uglify

Related Entry: Pretty boy (noun)

Pretty boy is a different word from Pretty. The synonyms below are for pretty boy, not for pretty.

  1. a man extremely interested in his clothing and personal appearance

    "a downtown dance club with lots of pretty boys in attendance"

    similar: beau, Beau Brummell, buck, dandy, dude, fop, gallant, jay, lounge lizard, macaroni
    related: coxcomb, fancy Dan, popinjay, blade, cavalier, dasher, clotheshorse, exquisite, swell
    near: slob, sloven

  2. a physically attractive man

    "as a musical performer, he has yet to prove that he's more than just another pretty boy"

    similar: beefcake, hunk, stud, superstud
    related: babe (slang), dish, doll, dreamboat (slang), eye candy, eyeful, fox, knockout, stunner, lady-killer, sheik, womanizer
    near: dog, grotesquerie, monster, nerd

Related Entry: Pretty much (phrase)

Pretty much is a different word from Pretty. The synonyms below are for pretty much, not for pretty.

  1. very close to but not completely

    similar: about, all but, almost, borderline, fair (chiefly British), fairly, feckly (chiefly Scottish), more or less, most, much, near, nearly, next to, nigh, practically, somewhere, virtually, well-nigh, as good as, just about, within an inch of
    related: appreciably, by and large, chiefly, largely, mainly, mostly, kind of, partially, partly, somewhat
    near: absolutely, altogether, completely, entirely, fully, plain, plumb (chiefly dialect), quite, thoroughly, totally, utterly, well, wholly, barely, hardly, scarcely

Related Entry: Pretty boys (noun)

Pretty boys is a different word from Pretty. The synonyms below are for pretty boys, not for pretty.

  1. a man extremely interested in his clothing and personal appearance

    "a downtown dance club with lots of pretty boys in attendance"

    similar: Beau Brummells, beaux, bucks, dandies, dudes, fops, gallants, jays, lounge lizards, macaronis
    related: coxcombs, fancy Dans, popinjays, blades, cavaliers, dashers, clotheshorses, exquisites, swells
    near: slobs, slovens

  2. a physically attractive man

    "as a musical performer, he has yet to prove that he's more than just another pretty boy"

    similar: beefcakes, hunks, studs, superstuds
    related: babes (slang), dishes, dolls, dreamboats (slang), eye candies, eyefuls, foxes, knockouts, stunners, lady-killers, sheiks, womanizers
    near: dogs, grotesqueries, monsters, nerds

Related Entry: Sit (verb)

Sit is a different word from Pretty. The synonyms below are for sit, not for pretty.

  1. to rest on the buttocks or haunches

    "everybody needs to sit down because it's time for class"

    similar: set (chiefly dialect)
    related: perch, lounge, slouch, sprawl, squat, straddle
    near: arise, get up, rise, stand

  2. to cause to sit down

    "the host had to sit some of the guests on the porch"

    similar: seat, set down
    related: ensconce, settle, lay, lie, rest, place, put, recline, repose

  3. to cover and warm eggs as the young inside develop

    "we didn't want to disturb the hens, as they were sitting"

    similar: brood, hatch, incubate, set
    related: lay, spawn

  4. to occupy a place or location

    "the monument that sits at the entrance to the battlefield"

    similar: be, bear, lie, stand
    related: command, overlook, hang around, remain, rest, stay, stick around, tarry, await, wait, post, station, dwell, reside

Synonyms, Thesaurus & Another Word for Pretty

The most common words with a similar meaning to Pretty:

Chiefly British: bonny
Chiefly Southern: kindly
Slang: dreamboat
British: dolly bird
aesthetic, attractive, beauteous, beautiful, comely, cute, drop-dead, fair, fetching, good, good-looking, goodly, gorgeous, handsome, knockout, likely, lovely, lovesome, ravishing, seemly, sightly, stunning, taking, well-favored, agreeable, blessed, congenial, darling, delectable, delicious, delightful, delightsome, dreamy, dulcet, enjoyable, felicitous, grateful, gratifying, heavenly, jolly

Antonyms & Opposite Words for Pretty

Words with the opposite meaning of Pretty:

grotesque, hideous, homely, ill-favored, plain, ugly, unaesthetic, unattractive, unbeautiful, uncomely, uncute, unhandsome, unlovely, unpleasing, unpretty, unsightly, disagreeable, pleasureless, unpalatable, unpleasant, unwelcome, improper, inapplicable, inapposite, inappropriate, inapt, incongruous, indecent, infelicitous, malapropos

Related Words for Pretty

alluring, appealing, charming, cunning, engaging, fascinating, glamorous, prepossessing, elegant, exquisite, glorious, Junoesque, magnificent, resplendent, splendid, statuesque, sublime, superb, flawless, perfect, radiant, dainty, delicate, personable, presentable, chocolate-box, prettyish, desirable, dishy, dollish

Near Antonyms of Pretty

abhorrent, abominable, bad, disgusting, dreadful, foul, frightful, ghastly, horrible, loathsome, nasty, nauseating, objectionable, offensive, repellent, repugnant, repulsive, revolting, shocking, sickening, terrible, vile, unappealing, unappetizing, unimposing, unprepossessing, frumpish, frumpy, unshapely, god-awful

Word Forms of Pretty

Inflections: prettier, prettiest, pretties, prettied, prettying

Derived words: prettily (adverb), prettyish (adjective)

Origin & Etymology of Pretty

Middle English praty, prety, from Old English prættig tricky, from prætt trick; akin to Old Norse prettr trick

First known use: before 12th century

Vocabulary Lists & Topics for Pretty

Words & Phrases Containing Pretty

pretty boy, pretty much, pretty near/nearly, pretty well, sit pretty, a pretty penny

Frequently Asked Questions about Pretty

What does "Pretty" mean?

"Pretty" means artful, clever. As an an adjective, an adverb, a noun and a verb, it is defined as: artful, clever. It has 5 distinct senses.

What is another word for "Pretty"?

Other words for "Pretty" include aesthetic, attractive, beauteous, beautiful, bonny, comely, cute and drop-dead. The best synonym depends on which meaning of "Pretty" you intend.

What are different ways to say "Pretty"?

There are 250 words and phrases with a similar meaning to "Pretty". Common alternatives include aesthetic, attractive, beauteous, beautiful, bonny, comely, cute, drop-dead, fair and fetching.

What is the opposite of "Pretty"?

Antonyms of "Pretty" include grotesque, hideous, homely, ill-favored, plain, ugly, unaesthetic and unattractive. Near antonyms include abhorrent, abominable, bad and disgusting.

How do you use "Pretty" in a sentence?

Examples of "Pretty" in a sentence: "a pretty young girl"; "she was not a pretty sight after she fell off her horse and into the mud"; "their misalliance is as pretty an example of an ill-conceived marriage as you're likely to find".

Is "Pretty" a noun, verb, or adjective?

"Pretty" can be used as an adjective, an adverb, a noun and a verb, depending on the context.

Is "Pretty" useful for IELTS, TOEFL, and other English exams?

As an A1-level word, "Pretty" is typical of Cambridge A1 Movers (Young Learners), TOEIC Listening & Reading 120+.

How do you pronounce "Pretty"?

"Pretty" is pronounced /ˈpri-tē/ and divided into syllables as pret·ty.