pretty
- 01 A1 Beginner
adj.pleasant to look at, especially used for women, children, or small objects.
adj.aesthetically pleasing or attractive, typically applied to women, children, or smaller items rather than masculine or grand subjects.
Simple“She wore a pretty floral dress to the garden party.”
In context“The cottage was surrounded by a pretty garden filled with lavender and wild roses, making it a popular spot for local photographers.”
PitfallHe is a very pretty man. He is a very handsome man.In modern English, 'pretty' is usually used for women and children; 'handsome' is the standard word for attractive men.
Synonyms - 02 A1 Beginner
adv.to a medium degree; quite but not extremely.
adv.a degree adverb indicating a moderate but significant extent; often functions as a softener or, through meiosis, as an intensifier.
Simple“The exam was pretty difficult, but I think I passed.”
In context“The results were pretty impressive considering the team had only three weeks to prepare the entire presentation from scratch.”
- 03 C1 Advanced
adj.describes computer code that is easy to read because it is organized well.
adj.referring to source code that has been formatted according to standard syntax and indentation rules to improve human readability.
Simple“I used a tool to make the code look pretty before sharing it.”
In context“The developer insisted on using a pretty-printer to ensure the nested JSON structures remained legible for the rest of the engineering team.”
- 04 B2 Upper Intermediate
adj.a large or significant amount of something, like money.
adj.denoting a considerable or significant quantity or sum; often used with 'penny' or 'sum'.
Simple“That new car must have cost a pretty penny.”
In context“The restoration of the Victorian manor cost a pretty sum, far exceeding the initial estimates provided by the contractors.”
Synonyms - 05 B2 Upper Intermediate
v.to make someone or something look more attractive.
v.to beautify or improve the appearance of something; usually followed by the particle 'up'.
Simple“They tried to pretty up the old office with some new paint and plants.”
In context“The city council attempted to pretty up the industrial district before the international delegates arrived for the summit.”
UsageUsually appears as the phrasal verb 'pretty up'.
- 06 C1 Advanced
adj.used in a sarcastic way to mean a situation is actually very bad or difficult.
adj.employed ironically to describe a situation that is actually awkward, troublesome, or unpleasant.
Simple“Well, this is a pretty mess we've gotten ourselves into.”
In context“The company found itself in a pretty predicament after the main server failed during the peak holiday shopping hours.”
Usage pretty good · pretty soon · pretty well
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.