# pretty

Pronunciation: say "PRIT-ee" /ˈpɔɪti/

## Adverb

1. To a moderate but not extreme degree; somewhat or fairly, though sometimes used as understatement to mean very.
   - Simple: Fairly or quite, and sometimes very.
   - _The exam turned out to be pretty difficult for most of the class._
   - _Honestly, that meal was pretty good, better than I expected from a roadside diner._
12. In a pretty or graceful manner; prettily. *(dialectal)*
   - Simple: In a pleasing or graceful way.
   - _She writes pretty, with neat loops on every letter._
   - _The bird sang pretty all through the early morning._

## Adjective

2. Pleasing to look at or listen to in a delicate or charming way, said of people, especially women and children, and of things such as faces, places or tunes.
   - Simple: Nice to look at or listen to, in a sweet or delicate way, said of people or things.
   - _She has a pretty face and a warm smile._
   - _They stayed in a pretty village by the sea._
3. Awkward, unpleasant, or downright bad, used ironically to mean the reverse of its usual sense.
   - Simple: Bad or unpleasant, said ironically so that it means the opposite of nice.
   - _You've made a pretty mess of the whole arrangement._
   - _Well, this is a pretty mess: locked out of the house in the pouring rain with no spare key._
4. Fine-looking but only superficially attractive: initially appealing while having little real substance.
   - Simple: Nice on the outside but with nothing real behind it.
   - _The candidate offered pretty words that crumbled under the first hard question._
   - _It was a pretty speech, but it never explained how the city would pay for any of it._
9. Of a man or boy: effeminate, often used disparagingly. *(UK)*
   - Simple: Said of a man or boy who seems girlish or unmanly, often as an insult.
   - _His mates called him pretty whenever he fussed over his hair._
   - _The sergeant sneered that the new recruit looked far too pretty for the army._
11. Cunning or clever; skillful and adept.
   - Simple: Clever, skillful, and good at doing something the smart way.
   - _That was a pretty shot, curled right into the top corner of the net._
   - _The detective cracked the case with a pretty bit of reasoning, tracing the thief from a single muddy footprint._

## Verb

5. To make something pretty; to beautify or improve the appearance of.
   - Simple: To make something look nicer or more attractive.
   - _Before the guests arrived, she found time to pretty up the plain cake with fresh berries and powdered sugar._
   - _Before listing the apartment, they prettied it up with fresh paint, new curtains, and a bowl of lemons on the counter._

## Noun

6. An attractive person; also an affectionate term of address to someone good-looking.
   - Simple: A good-looking person, or a kind name used for an attractive person.
   - _Don't cry, my pretty, everything will be just fine._
   - _'Hello, my pretties!' Grandpa called as the twins ran up the path to his porch._
8. A thing that is pretty, especially a small ornament or decoration.
   - Simple: A nice-looking little thing, such as a small ornament or decoration.
   - _At the craft fair she spent far too much on pretties for the Christmas tree, from glass birds to tiny felt stars._
   - _My aunt's shelves are crowded with little pretties she has picked up on her travels._

## Adjective

7. Moderately large; considerable in amount or extent. *(dated)*
   - Simple: Fairly large in amount or size.
   - _The wedding ended up costing them a pretty penny._
   - _He inherited a pretty fortune from his late uncle._
10. Excellent, commendable, or pleasing; fitting and proper, said of actions or thoughts. *(dated)*
   - Simple: Very good, fitting, and worthy of praise.

## Other meanings

- (adjective) Of code or data: formatted according to commonly accepted style and syntax conventions, for the sake of readability.

## Origin

From Middle English prety, from Old English prættiġ ("tricky, crafty, sly, cunning"), going back through Proto-West Germanic *prattug to Proto-Germanic *prattugaz ("boastful, sly, deceitful, cunning"). It comes from prat ("trick") plus -y, and is related to Dutch prettig ("nice, pleasant") and Icelandic prettugur ("deceitful, tricky").

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/pretty (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).