pretty

Definition from Wiktionary, a free dictionary

Contents 1 English 1.1 Etymology 1.2 Pronunciation 1.3 Adjective 1.3.1 Quotations 1.3.2 Antonyms 1.3.3 Derived terms 1.3.4 Translations 1.4 Adverb 1.4.1 Usage notes 1.4.2 Derived terms 1.4.3 Translations 1.5 Noun 1.6 Verb 1.6.1 Derived terms

[edit] English

[edit] Etymology

Old English prættig

[edit] Pronunciation

• IPA: /'prɪ.ti/, SAMPA: /"prI.ti/
•  Audio (US)^{help, file}
• Rhymes: -ɪti

[edit] Adjective

Wikipedia pretty (comparative prettier, superlative prettiest)

1. Pleasant in sight or other senses.
2. Having conventionally accepted elements of beauty, usually just physical attractiveness

   She was such a pretty girl.

3. (Can we verify⁽⁺⁾ this sense?) Not functional or supposedly so.

   pretty buttons

4. Unpleasant (in some cases)

   pretty state of affairs

5. Affectedly nice; foppish.
6. (dated) Moderately large; considerable.

   He had amassed a pretty fortune.

[edit] Quotations

• 1926, Ernest Hemingway, The sun also rises‎‎, page 251:

  "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?"

[edit] Antonyms

• ugly

[edit] Derived terms

[edit] Translations

[edit] Adverb

pretty (not comparable)

1. somewhat, fairly, quite; used as a mild intensifier of adjectives and adverbs.

   Hey, that's pretty neat!

   People can run pretty fast when they're frightened!

2. somewhat, fairly; contrasted with greater intensifiers.

   It's pretty good, but not outstanding.

[edit] Usage notes

• 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.

[edit] Derived terms

• pretty much
• pretty well

[edit] Translations

[edit] Noun

pretty (plural pretties)

1. Something that is pretty.

   "We'll stop at the knife store a look at the sharp pretties.

   • 1939, Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf, The Wizard of Oz

     I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!

[edit] Verb

to pretty (third-person singular simple present pretties, present participle prettying, simple past and past participle prettied)

1. To make pretty; to beautify
   • 2007, Eric Knight, Lassie Come-Home^[1], ISBN 0312371314, page 29:

     He sat on the hearth rug and began prettying the dog's coat.

[edit] Derived terms

• pretty up