PRETTY (prettied, prettier, prettiest)

Pronunciation (US):

(GB):

IPA (US):

Irregular inflected forms: prettied    , prettier    , prettiest   

 Dictionary entry overview: What does pretty mean? 

• PRETTY (adjective)
  The adjective PRETTY has 2 senses:

1. pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

2. (used ironically) unexpectedly bad

  Familiarity information: PRETTY used as an adjective is rare.

• PRETTY (adverb)
  The adverb PRETTY has 1 sense:

1. to certain extent or degree

  Familiarity information: PRETTY used as an adverb is very rare.

 Dictionary entry details 

• PRETTY (adjective)

Comparative: prettier   
Superlative: prettiest   

Sense 1

Meaning:

Pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing

Context example:

pretty room

Similar:

beautiful (delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration)

Derivation:

prettiness (the quality of being appealing in a delicate or graceful way (of a girl or young woman))

Sense 2

Meaning:

(used ironically) unexpectedly bad

Context example:

a pretty kettle of fish

Similar:

bad (having undesirable or negative qualities)

Domain usage:

irony (a trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs)

• PRETTY (adverb)

Sense 1

Meaning:

To certain extent or degree

Synonyms:

fairly; jolly; middling; moderately; passably; pretty; reasonably; somewhat

Context example:

he is fairly clever with computers

 Context examples 

"Stands pretty close to two feet an' a half at the shoulders," Henry commented.

(White Fang, by Jack London)

“Yes, it was. “Bewitching Mrs. Copperfield”,” I repeated stoutly. “And, “pretty.””

(David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens)

Just say I looked pretty well and was having a good time.

(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)

Upon my honour, I never met with so many pleasant girls in my life as I have this evening; and there are several of them you see uncommonly pretty.

(Pride and Prejudice, by Jane Austen)

Everything is pretty well fixed now, I think, to welcome the Count on his return from his tour.

(Dracula, by Bram Stoker)

And I can tell you that my life is pretty valuable just now—to myself.

(The Sea-Wolf, by Jack London)

"I knew pretty well what she was before that day;" said he, smiling.

(Persuasion, by Jane Austen)

“Is it a pretty place?” asked Catherine.

(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)

"I'm studyin' the pretty dears. That's enough for you."

(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)

'Oh,' returned the fairy, 'that does not signify! Here is a talisman will remove all difficulties;' and she held out a pretty gold ring.

(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)