pretty

Meanings

Adjective

• Pleasant to the sight or other senses; attractive, especially of women or children, but less strikingly than something beautiful.
• Of objects or things: nice-looking, appealing.
• Fine-looking; only superficially attractive; initially appealing but having little substance; see petty.
• Cunning; clever, skilful.
• Moderately large; considerable.
• Excellent, commendable, pleasing; fitting or proper (of actions, thoughts etc.).
• Awkward, unpleasant.

Adverb

• Somewhat, fairly, quite; sometimes also (by meiosis) very.
• Prettily, in a pretty manner.

Noun

• A pretty person; a term of address to a pretty person.
• Something that is pretty.

Verb

• To make pretty; to beautify

Related

Opposite words

• ugly

Origin

• From Middle English prety, preti, praty, prati, from Old English prættiġ, from Proto-Germanic *prattugaz, corresponding to prat + -y. Cognate with Dutch prettig ("nice, pleasant"), Low German prettig ("funny"), Icelandic prettugur ("deceitful, tricky"). For the sense-development, compare canny, clever, cute.