pretty
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pret·ty
(prĭt′ē)adj. pret·ti·er, pret·ti·est
1. Pleasing or attractive in a graceful or delicate way. See Synonyms at beautiful.
2. Clever; adroit: a pretty maneuver.
3. Very bad; terrible: in a pretty predicament; a situation that has reached a pretty pass.
4. Ostensibly or superficially attractive but lacking substance or conviction: full of pretty phrases.
5. Informal Considerable in size or extent: a pretty fortune.
adv.
1. To a fair degree; moderately: a pretty good student.
2. In a pretty manner; prettily or pleasingly.
n. pl. pret·ties
1. One that is pretty.
2. pretties Delicate clothing, especially lingerie.
tr.v. pret·tied, pret·ty·ing, pret·ties
Idiom: To make pretty: pretty up the house.
pretty much
For the most part; mostly: "The ... matter was pretty much dying down" (John Strahinich).
[Middle English prety, clever, fine, handsome, from Old English prættig, cunning, from prætt, trick.]
pret′ti·ly adv.
pret′ti·ness n.
American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright © 2016 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
pretty
(ˈprɪtɪ)adj, -tier or -tiest
1. pleasing or appealing in a delicate or graceful way
2. dainty, neat, or charming
3. commendable; good of its kind: he replied with a pretty wit.
4. informal often ironic excellent, grand, or fine: here's a pretty mess!.
5. informal lacking in masculinity; effeminate; foppish
6. Scot vigorous or brave
7. an archaic word for elegant
8. a pretty penny informal a large sum of money
9. sitting pretty informal well placed or established financially, socially, etc
n, pl -ties
a pretty person or thing
adv
10. informal fairly or moderately; somewhat
11. informal quite or very
vb, -ties, -tying or -tied
(often foll by: up) to make pretty; adorn
[Old English prættig clever; related to Middle Low German prattich obstinate, Dutch prettig glad, Old Norse prettugr cunning]
ˈprettily adv
ˈprettiness n
Collins English Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged, 12th Edition 2014 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1994, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2011, 2014
pret•ty
(ˈprɪt i)adj. -ti•er, -ti•est, adj.
1. pleasing or attractive, esp. in a delicate or graceful way: a pretty face; a pretty song.
2. pleasing or charming but lacking in grandeur, importance, or force.
3. fine; grand (often used ironically): This is a pretty mess!
4. Informal. considerable; fairly great: This mistake will cost us a pretty sum.
n. 5. a pretty person.
adv. 6. fairly or moderately: a pretty good time.
7. quite; very: The wind blew pretty hard.
8. Informal. prettily.
v.t. 9. to make pretty in appearance: to pretty up a room.
[before 1000; Middle English prati(e), pratte, prettie cunning, gallant, fine, pretty, Old English prættig, prettī cunning, derivative of prǣtt a trick, wile (c. Dutch part, pret trick, prank, Old Norse prettr trick, prettugr tricky)]
pret′ti•ly, adv.
pret′ti•ness, n.
pret′ty•ish, adj.
syn: See beautiful.
usage: The qualifying adverb pretty, meaning “fairly or moderately,” has been in general use since the late 16th century. Although most common in informal speech and writing, it is far from restricted to them, and often is less stilted than alternatives such as relatively, moderately, and quite.
Random House Kernerman Webster's College Dictionary, © 2010 K Dictionaries Ltd. Copyright 2005, 1997, 1991 by Random House, Inc. All rights reserved.
pretty
Past participle: prettied
Gerund: prettying
| Imperative |
|---|
| pretty |
| pretty |
Collins English Verb Tables © HarperCollins Publishers 2011
ThesaurusAntonymsRelated WordsSynonymsLegend:
Switch to new thesaurus
| Adj. | 1. | pretty - pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing; "pretty girl"; "pretty song"; "pretty room" beautiful - delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration; "a beautiful child"; "beautiful country"; "a beautiful painting"; "a beautiful theory"; "a beautiful party" |
| 2. | pretty - (used ironically) unexpectedly bad; "a pretty mess"; "a pretty kettle of fish" irony - a trope that involves incongruity between what is expected and what occurs bad - having undesirable or negative qualities; "a bad report card"; "his sloppy appearance made a bad impression"; "a bad little boy"; "clothes in bad shape"; "a bad cut"; "bad luck"; "the news was very bad"; "the reviews were bad"; "the pay is bad"; "it was a bad light for reading"; "the movie was a bad choice" | |
| Adv. | 1. | pretty - to a moderately sufficient extent or degree; "pretty big"; "pretty bad"; "jolly decent of him"; "the shoes are priced reasonably"; "he is fairly clever with computers" |
Based on WordNet 3.0, Farlex clipart collection. © 2003-2012 Princeton University, Farlex Inc.
pretty
adjective
1. attractive, appealing, beautiful, sweet, lovely, charming, fair, fetching, good-looking, cute, graceful, bonny, personable, comely, prepossessing She's a charming and pretty girl.
attractive unattractive, plain, ugly, unsightly, unshapely
attractive unattractive, plain, ugly, unsightly, unshapely
adverb
1. (Informal) fairly, rather, quite, kind of (informal), somewhat, moderately, reasonably I had a pretty good idea what she was going to do.
Collins Thesaurus of the English Language – Complete and Unabridged 2nd Edition. 2002 © HarperCollins Publishers 1995, 2002
pretty
adjective1. Pleasing to the eye or mind:
2. Having qualities that delight the eye:
attractive, beauteous, beautiful, comely, fair, good-looking, gorgeous, handsome, lovely, pulchritudinous, ravishing, sightly, stunning.
Scots: bonny.
Idiom: easy on the eyes.
To some extent:
Idiom: more or less.
The American Heritage® Roget's Thesaurus. Copyright © 2013, 2014 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
Translations
إلى حدٍ ماإِلى حَدٍّ مَعْقُولظَريفَه، جَذّابَه، وَسيمَهفَشَلا ذَريعاًلَطِيف
doceladostihezkýpěknýpoměrně
kønretnydeligpæn
kaunismelkosievä
ljepuškastprilično
csinos
frekar, nokkuîlaglegurlaglegur, sætur
かなりきれいな
상당히예쁜
pulcherpulchrapulchrum
ganėtinai
diezganglītsjaukslielisksvarens
lepprecejprikupen
ganskasöt
น่ารักพอใช้ได้สวย
kháxinh
pretty
[ˈprɪtɪ]A. ADJ (prettier (compar) (prettiest (superl)))
1. (= attractive) [dress, object, baby] → bonito, mono, lindo (LAm); [girl] → bonito, guapo, lindo (LAm); [name, smile] → bonito, lindo (LAm)
what a pretty hat! → ¡qué sombrero más bonito!, ¡qué sombrero más mono!, ¡qué monada de sombrero!
I'm not just a pretty face you know → para que te enteres, no soy tonta
it'll cost you a pretty penny → te va a costar un ojo de la cara or un dineral
it was not a pretty sight → no era nada agradable de ver
she was as pretty as a picture → era preciosa
the garden was as pretty as a picture → el jardín era de foto
see also pass A5
what a pretty hat! → ¡qué sombrero más bonito!, ¡qué sombrero más mono!, ¡qué monada de sombrero!
I'm not just a pretty face you know → para que te enteres, no soy tonta
it'll cost you a pretty penny → te va a costar un ojo de la cara or un dineral
it was not a pretty sight → no era nada agradable de ver
she was as pretty as a picture → era preciosa
the garden was as pretty as a picture → el jardín era de foto
see also pass A5
2. (= large) [sum] → bonito, importante
B. ADV → bastante
he got pretty cross → se enfadó bastante
I have a pretty fair or good idea who did it → estoy casi seguro de quién lo hizo
it sounds pretty far-fetched to me → me parece bastante inverosímil
she got pretty good marks → sacó unas notas bastante buenas
pretty damn or damned quick → bien pronto
he's pretty damn stupid → es bien estúpido
it's pretty much the same → es mas o menos igual, es prácticamente lo mismo
he goes there pretty nearly every day → va allí casi or prácticamente todos los días
pretty well I'm pretty well finished → ya casi he terminado
that's pretty well everything → eso es todo más o menos
see also sit A1
he got pretty cross → se enfadó bastante
I have a pretty fair or good idea who did it → estoy casi seguro de quién lo hizo
it sounds pretty far-fetched to me → me parece bastante inverosímil
she got pretty good marks → sacó unas notas bastante buenas
pretty damn or damned quick → bien pronto
he's pretty damn stupid → es bien estúpido
it's pretty much the same → es mas o menos igual, es prácticamente lo mismo
he goes there pretty nearly every day → va allí casi or prácticamente todos los días
pretty well I'm pretty well finished → ya casi he terminado
that's pretty well everything → eso es todo más o menos
see also sit A1
C. N (as excl) gee up, my pretty! (to horse) → ¡arre, caballito!
I'll get you, my pretty! (threatening) → ¡de mí no te escapas, preciosa or bonita!
I'll get you, my pretty! (threatening) → ¡de mí no te escapas, preciosa or bonita!
pretty up VT + ADV = prettify
Collins Spanish Dictionary - Complete and Unabridged 8th Edition 2005 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1971, 1988 © HarperCollins Publishers 1992, 1993, 1996, 1997, 2000, 2003, 2005
pretty
[ˈprɪti] adj
adv
pretty much (= almost) → pratiquement
It's pretty much the same → C'est pratiquement la même chose.
pretty well (= almost) → pratiquement
I travel pretty well every week → Je voyage pratiquement toutes les semaines.
It's pretty much the same → C'est pratiquement la même chose.
pretty well (= almost) → pratiquement
I travel pretty well every week → Je voyage pratiquement toutes les semaines.
(= quite) → assez
I had a pretty good idea of what she was going to do → J'avais une assez bonne idée de ce qu'elle allait faire.
pretty soon → très bientôt
pretty soon after → peu de temps après
He left pretty soon after my arrival → Il est parti peu de temps après mon arrivée.
pretty well → plutôt bien
I'm pretty well at the moment, thanks → Je vais plutôt bien en ce moment, merci.
pretty bad → plutôt mauvais(e)
That film was pretty bad → Ce film était plutôt mauvais.
pretty awful
The weather was pretty awful → Il faisait un temps assez épouvantable.
I had a pretty good idea of what she was going to do → J'avais une assez bonne idée de ce qu'elle allait faire.
pretty soon → très bientôt
pretty soon after → peu de temps après
He left pretty soon after my arrival → Il est parti peu de temps après mon arrivée.
pretty well → plutôt bien
I'm pretty well at the moment, thanks → Je vais plutôt bien en ce moment, merci.
pretty bad → plutôt mauvais(e)
That film was pretty bad → Ce film était plutôt mauvais.
pretty awful
The weather was pretty awful → Il faisait un temps assez épouvantable.
to be sitting pretty → pouvoir dormir sur ses deux oreilles
He is sitting pretty financially → Financièrement, il peut dormir sur ses deux oreilles.
He is sitting pretty financially → Financièrement, il peut dormir sur ses deux oreilles.
Collins English/French Electronic Resource. © HarperCollins Publishers 2005
pretty
adj (+er)
→ hübsch, nett; manners, compliment, speech → artig; to be pretty (also pej: man) → hübsch sein; a pretty man (pej) → ein Schönling m; to make oneself pretty → sich hübsch machen; I’m not just a pretty face! (inf) → ich bin gar nicht so dumm (wie ich aussehe) (inf); she’s not just a pretty face! (inf) → sie hat auch Köpfchen!; pretty Polly! (to parrot) → Lora, Lora!; it wasn’t pretty → das war alles andere als schön; it wasn’t a pretty sight → das war kein schöner Anblick; pretty-pretty (inf) → niedlich
adv (= rather) → ziemlich; good also → ganz; (= very also) → ganz schön (inf), → ganz hübsch (inf); pretty damn or damned good/quick → verdammt gut/schnell (inf), → ganz schön gut/schnell; pretty nearly or well finished → so gut wie or so ziemlich fertig (inf); how’s your job/the patient? — pretty much the same → was macht die Arbeit/der Patient? — so ziemlich wie immer/immer noch so ziemlich gleich
n my pretty → mein Sternchen
vt (inf) to pretty up → schön machen, verschönern
Collins German Dictionary – Complete and Unabridged 7th Edition 2005. © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1980 © HarperCollins Publishers 1991, 1997, 1999, 2004, 2005, 2007
pretty
[ˈprɪtɪ]1. adj (-ier (comp) (-iest (superl))) → grazioso/a, carino/a
he wasn't a pretty sight → non era bello da vedersi
it'll cost you a pretty penny! (fam) → ti costerà una bella sommetta!
he wasn't a pretty sight → non era bello da vedersi
it'll cost you a pretty penny! (fam) → ti costerà una bella sommetta!
2. adv (rather) → piuttosto; (very) → molto
pretty well (not badly) → piuttosto bene
pretty nearly (almost) → quasi, praticamente
it's pretty much the same (fam) → è praticamente uguale
pretty well (not badly) → piuttosto bene
pretty nearly (almost) → quasi, praticamente
it's pretty much the same (fam) → è praticamente uguale
Collins Italian Dictionary 1st Edition © HarperCollins Publishers 1995
pretty
(ˈpriti) adjective1. (not usually of boys and men) pleasing or attractive. a pretty girl/tune/picture/dress.
2. used jokingly. This is a pretty mess!
adverb rather. That's pretty good; He's pretty old now.
ˈprettily adverbˈprettiness noun
pretty much the same, pretty much alike etc
more or less the same, alike etc.
pretty well nearly. I've pretty well finished.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary © 2006-2013 K Dictionaries Ltd.
pretty
→ إِلى حَدٍّ مَعْقُول, لَطِيف hezký, poměrně køn, ret hübsch, ziemlich αρκετά, ωραίος bastante, bonito kaunis, melko joli, plutôt ljepuškast, prilično abbastanza, carino かなり, きれいな 상당히, 예쁜 behoorlijk, knap ganske, pen całkiem, ładny bonito, razoavelmente достаточно, хорошенький ganska, söt พอใช้ได้, สวย bayağı, hoş khá, xinh 漂亮的, 相当Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009
- It's pretty good (US)
It's quite good (UK)
Collins Multilingual Translator © HarperCollins Publishers 2009