What does "pretty" mean?

1. (attractive) pleasant to look at, especially used for women, children, or small objects. 2. (quite or fairly) to a medium degree; quite but not extremely. 3. (formatted code) describes computer code that is easy to read because it is organized well. 4. (considerable amount) a large or significant amount of something, like money. 5. (to make attractive) to make someone or something look more attractive. 6. (unpleasant (ironic)) used in a sarcastic way to mean a situation is actually very bad or difficult.

How do you use "pretty"?

Usually appears as the phrasal verb 'pretty up'.

Is it correct to say "He is a very pretty man."?

No — say "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.

pretty

adj. · adv. · v.

US //ˈpɹɪti// UK //pɹˈɪti// pret·ty

1 attractive (adj.)
A1 Beginner

pleasant to look at, especially used for women, children, or small objects.

aesthetically pleasing or attractive, typically applied to women, children, or smaller items rather than masculine or grand subjects.

Example

She wore a pretty floral dress to the garden party.

Example

The cottage was surrounded by a pretty garden filled with lavender and wild roses, making it a popular spot for local photographers.
- attractive
- lovely
- good looking
- ugly
- plain
Pitfall

He 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.
2 quite or fairly (adv.)
A1 Beginner Informal

to a medium degree; quite but not extremely.

a degree adverb indicating a moderate but significant extent; often functions as a softener or, through meiosis, as an intensifier.

Example

The exam was pretty difficult, but I think I passed.

Example

The results were pretty impressive considering the team had only three weeks to prepare the entire presentation from scratch.
- slightly
- extremely

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3 formatted code (adj.)
C1 Advanced Technical Computing

describes computer code that is easy to read because it is organized well.

referring to source code that has been formatted according to standard syntax and indentation rules to improve human readability.

Example

I used a tool to make the code look pretty before sharing it.

Example

The developer insisted on using a pretty-printer to ensure the nested JSON structures remained legible for the rest of the engineering team.
- formatted
- clean
- minified
- obfuscated
4 considerable amount (adj.)
B2 Upper Intermediate

a large or significant amount of something, like money.

denoting a considerable or significant quantity or sum; often used with 'penny' or 'sum'.

Example

That new car must have cost a pretty penny.

Example

The restoration of the Victorian manor cost a pretty sum, far exceeding the initial estimates provided by the contractors.
- paltry
- meager
5 to make attractive (v.)
B2 Upper Intermediate Informal

to make someone or something look more attractive.

to beautify or improve the appearance of something; usually followed by the particle 'up'.

Example

They tried to pretty up the old office with some new paint and plants.

Example

The city council attempted to pretty up the industrial district before the international delegates arrived for the summit.

Usage

Usually appears as the phrasal verb 'pretty up'.
- beautify
- decorate
- spruce up
- mar
- spoil
6 unpleasant (ironic) (adj.)
C1 Advanced Informal

used in a sarcastic way to mean a situation is actually very bad or difficult.

employed ironically to describe a situation that is actually awkward, troublesome, or unpleasant.

Example

Well, this is a pretty mess we've gotten ourselves into.

Example

The company found itself in a pretty predicament after the main server failed during the peak holiday shopping hours.
- fine
- nice

Origin

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.

Idioms6 entries