Pretty is used to tone down a statement and is in wide use across the whole spectrum of English. It is common in informal speech and writing but is neither rare nor wrong in serious discourse

PRETTY definition: 1. quite, but not extremely: 2. almost: 3. pleasant to look at, or (especially of girls or women…. Learn more.

Pretty definition: pleasing or attractive to the eye, as by delicacy or gracefulness.. See examples of PRETTY used in a sentence.

1. To a fair degree; moderately: a pretty good student. 2. In a pretty manner; prettily or pleasingly.

Pretty may refer to: Beauty, the quality of being pleasing, especially to look at Physical attractiveness, of a person's physical features

If you describe someone as pretty, you mean that they are attractive. She's a very charming and very pretty girl.

Find 448 different ways to say PRETTY, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

Oct 21, 2025 · When particularly stressed, the adverb pretty serves almost to diminish the adjective or adverb that it modifies, by emphasizing that there are greater levels of intensity.

There are 20 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word pretty, four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

PRETTY meaning: 1 : attractive to look at usually in a simple or delicate way used especially of a girl or woman; 2 : pleasant to look at or listen to