pretty en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- (US) audio T-flapping
- [ˈpɹə̞ɾ.i] (New-Zealand)
- /ˈpɔɪ.ti/ (US, dated, humorous)
- /ˈpɹɪt.i/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- [ˈpɹɪɾ.i] (Canada, General-American)
- /ˈpɹət.i/ (New-Zealand)
- [ˈpʰɹɪt̚tʰi] (Canada, General-American, emphatic)
- [ˈpɹɪɾ.i] (Australia)
- /ˈpɹɪt.i/ (Canada, General-American)
- [pɾɪʈ(ː)iˑ] (India)
- /ˈpɹʊt.i/ (US, rare)
- /ˈpɹɪt.i/ (Australia)
- /ˈprɪʈ.i/ (India)
- /ˈpɜɹ.ti/ (US, dialectal)
Etymology
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.
Meanings
-
Pleasant to the sight or other senses; attractive, especially of women or children.
The face which emerged was not reassuring.[…]. He was not a mongol but there was a deficiency of a sort there, and it was not made more pretty by a latter-day hair cut which involved eccentrically long elf-locks and oiled black curls.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 17, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:Hal Smith, manager of the Ferry Field theatre, Detroit, one of the largest and prettiest outskirt houses in town, played Metro's "Revelation" for three days last week
1917, Michigan Film Review, page 347:To escape a violent beating from sailors to whom he has sold a non-functioning car, Jerry takes his stepfamily for a holiday in a trailer park miles away, where, miraculously, young Nick meets a very pretty young woman called Sheeni, played by Portia Doubleday.
2010 February 4, Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian:Having brought it to a close, he took his way to the Kursaal. The great German watering-place is one of the prettiest nooks in Europe, and of a summer evening in the gaming days, five-and-twenty years ago, it was one of the most brilliant scenes.
1879, Henry James, chapter III, in Confidence, London: Chatto & Windus:
-
Of objects or things: nice-looking, appealing.
'Petit Posy' brassicas […] are a cross between kale and brussels sprouts, and are really very pretty with a mild, sweet taste.
2010 February 13, Lia Leendertz, The Guardian:Some fans may have mistaken the album’s floatiness for aimlessness, but Mr. Mercer’s songs have never been sneakier, or prettier.
2007 October 25, Kelefa Sanneh, “Songs With a Sneaky Streak”, in The New York Times:
-
(derogatory, often) Fine-looking; only superficially attractive; initially appealing but having little substance; see petty.
Damned by the Socialists as "traitors to the working class," its leaders were decried by Tories as "faceless peddlers of politics with a pretty little trinket for every taste."
1962 September 28, “New Life for the Liberals”, in Time:
- (UK, derogatory, sometimes) Effeminate.
-
Cunning; clever, skilful.
In the end, however, it was a very pretty shot, right across the chasm; killed first fire, and the brute fell headlong into the brook […].
1877, George Hesekiel, Bayard Taylor, Bismarck his Authentic Biography, page 380:
-
(dated) Moderately large; considerable.
"What did you do to your hair?" The answer could be worth a pretty penny for L'Oreal.
2004 January 26, “Because They're Worth it”, in Time:they flung all the goods in the house out at the windows into the street, or into the sea, as they supposed; thus they continued mad a pretty season […].
1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: […], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: […] John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition I, section 2, member 4, subsection vii:
-
(dated) Excellent, commendable, pleasing; fitting or proper (of actions, thoughts etc.).
‘This new fashion of introducing the candidate's children into an election contest is a pretty one,’ said Mrs. Panstreppon; ‘it takes away something from the acerbity of party warfare, and it makes an interesting experience for the children to look back on in after years.’
1919, Saki, ‘The Oversight’, The Toys of Peace:Some people are surprised, I believe, that that the eldest was not [named after his father], but Isabella would have him named Henry, which I thought very pretty of her.
1815 December (indicated as 1816), [Jane Austen], Emma: […], volume (please specify |volume=I to III), London: […] [Charles Roworth and James Moyes] for John Murray, →OCLC:"Oh, Jake." Brett said, "we could have had such a damned good time together." Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me. "Yes", I said. "Isn't it pretty to think so?"
1926, Ernest Hemingway, The sun also rises, page 251:
-
(ironic) Awkward, unpleasant, bad.
His sadistic self-torturings finally landed him in a pretty mess: still completely married, practically sure he was in love with Tillie, he made dishonorable proposals of marriage to two other women.
1931 January 26, “Done to a Turn”, in Time:"[…] you can still see where the kid's face is swollen up from this talk: couple of black eyes, lip all busted up, nose over sideways," Driscoll shook his head again, "just a real pretty picture."
1995, Les Standiford, Deal to die for, page 123:[A] pretty thing it would be, if a man of business had to examine every cab-horse before he hired it—[…]
[1877], Anna Sewell, “”, in Black Beauty: […], London: Jarrold and Sons, […], →OCLC, part IV, page 235:‘You ought to be ashamed of yourself, Marjorie Lindon, to even think such nonsense. Are you all nerves and morbid imaginings,—you who have prided yourself on being so strong-minded! A pretty sort you are to do battle for anyone.—Why, they’re only make-believes!’
1897, Richard Marsh, The Beetle:"Nay, not I; it is a pretty thing to expect me to wash them; you may take them back again, and say, as Sally had them before, she may wash them now, for me; I am not going to be 'Jack at a pinch,' I can tell you."
1839, The Cottager's Monthly Visitor, volume 19, page 270:
- (of code) Matching commonly accepted principles of formatting and syntax, for the sake of readability.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| pratty | alternative, dialectal | lexicographic | |
| pooty | alternative | lexicographic | |
| purdy | alternative | lexicographic | |
| prettie | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic | |
| prettiest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| purty | alternative | lexicographic | |
| prettier | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| pretie | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic |
Antonyms
Coordinates
Deriveds
don't worry your pretty little head · pretty please · pretty police · purdy · pretty penny · pretty-face wallaby · pretty-pretty · not just another pretty face · not a pretty sight · prettify · prettyish · prettysome · not just a pretty face · pretty-by-night · pretty Polly · pretty as a picture · pretty-faced wallaby · prettikins · who's a pretty boy then · pretty-printer · unpretty · pretty horsebreaker · Pretty Beach · none-so-pretty · pretty pictures · pretty-print · pretty pass · pretty as a speckled pup · pretty privilege · prettiness · prettification · sitting pretty · Pretty Pine · just another pretty face · pretty boy · prettiful · prettyism
Descendants
Synonyms
Translations (170)
gd lurach (of objects: nice-looking) · fa قشنگ (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fi viehättävä (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ast preciosu (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · it grazioso (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fi sievä (only superficially attractive) · gd snog (of objects: nice-looking) · ur خوبصورت (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · de anmutig (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · pt bonitinho (only superficially attractive) · ko 아름답다 (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · uk миленький (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · bg хубав (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · bg значителен (dated: moderately large) · pl ładny (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · bg привлекателен (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fi melkoinen (ironic: awkward, unpleasant) · cmn 標緻 /标致 (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · nan-hbl 媠 (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · eu polit (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · es guapo (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · pt bonito (of objects: nice-looking) · et ilus (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fa خوشگل (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fr joli (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · gd brèagha (of objects: nice-looking) · lb flott (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · lou bèl (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · bg красив (of objects: nice-looking) · ar لَطِيف (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · mt sabiħ (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · uk гарненький (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · eo bela (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · hi ख़ूबसूरत (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ny wokongola (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · nl mooi (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fa قشنگ (of objects: nice-looking) · km ល្អ (of objects: nice-looking) · lt gražus (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · id cantik (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fa خوشگل (of objects: nice-looking) · el χαριτωμένος (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · gd maiseach (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · pam masanting (of objects: nice-looking) · lo ງາມ (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · pwn samiyan (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ca bonic (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · gd maiseach (of objects: nice-looking) · mwl guapo (of objects: nice-looking) · eo beleta (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · tl maganda (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ja 綺麗な (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fa زیبا (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · hu csinos (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · io bela (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · hy սիրուն (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · pam rikit (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · kn ಸುಂದರ (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ru симпати́чный (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · lou joli (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · vi xinh (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fi sievä (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · no vakker (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · mwl galano (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ota كوزل (of objects: nice-looking) · km ល្អ (only superficially attractive) · pt bonito (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · yue 靚 /靓 (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · el όμορφος (of objects: nice-looking) · fi melkoinen (dated: moderately large) · bo སྙིང་རྗེ་པོ (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ca bonic (of objects: nice-looking) · lv glīts (of objects: nice-looking) · te అందమైన (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · nan-tws 雅 (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · apw ba’olníí (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · vo plitülik (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · vo jönik (of objects: nice-looking) · hi सुंदर (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · no pen (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ig imma (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ga deas (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · mwl guapo (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · pam malinang (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ru милови́дный (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ru хоро́шенький (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · de niedlich (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · swb -zuri (of objects: nice-looking) · cmn 好看 (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · sv skön (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · sv snygg (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · sv vacker (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · la scitulus (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · qu sumag (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · mwl galan (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · lv glīts (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ast guapu (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · es listo (cunning, clever, skilful) · io beleta (only superficially attractive) · yi שיין (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · pdt schmock (of objects: nice-looking) · lv skaists (of objects: nice-looking) · ota كوزل (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ko 예쁘다 (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · az göyçək (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · hi मनोरम (of objects: nice-looking) · he יָפָה (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · sco bonny (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · yi פֿײַן (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · de attraktiv (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · de charmant (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ms cantik (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · tr güzel (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fi sievä (of objects: nice-looking) · cmn 秀麗 /秀丽 (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · sv fin (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · lou bo (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fi aikamoinen (ironic: awkward, unpleasant) · io jolia (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · qu şumag (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · th สวย (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · de schön (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · de nett (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · be прыго́жы (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ka სანდომიანი (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · sq i bukur (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ru привлека́тельный (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · sv söt (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · cmn 漂亮 (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · la pulcher (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · pam malagu (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · vi xinh xắn (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ja プリティ (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ja 可愛い (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fi kiva (dated: excellent, pleasing) · sl lep (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · it carino (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · cs hezký (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · es bonito (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · he יָפֶה (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · it carino (of objects: nice-looking) · ru ми́ленький (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · mr सुंदर (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fi nätti (cunning, clever, skilful) · io beleta (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · de hübsch (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · tay betunux (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ro drăguță (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · mwl pimpon (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ar جَمِيل (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · pdt schmock (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ms jelita (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ur سندر (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ko 예쁜 (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fi viehättävä (of objects: nice-looking) · gd bòidheach (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · gd grinn (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ro drăguț (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · my လှ (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fr joli (of objects: nice-looking) · th น่ารัก (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · km ល្អ (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · fa زیبا (of objects: nice-looking) · lv skaists (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · ru ми́лый (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · lou vayan (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · gd brèagha (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive) · es bonito (of objects: nice-looking) · pt belo (of objects: nice-looking) · uk га́рний (especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive)