pretty

A1 Topic:Describing Qualities

Also spelled pooty

US /ˈpɹɪt.i/ UK /ˈpɹɪt.i/ See IPA manual

Freq #294

Meanings

1

adv
To a fairly large degree; quite.

The film was pretty good, but a bit too long.
2

adj
Attractive and pleasant to look at.

She wore a pretty blue dress to the party.
3

adj
Nice-looking and appealing, used of objects or places.

They live in a pretty little village by the sea.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 adv · to a fairly large degree;... middling

2 adj · attractive and pleasant to... dainty

Opposites

ugly

Word family

Forms prettierprettiestprettilyprettyish

Derived forms none-so-prettypdqpertineerprettificationprettifulprettifyprettikinsprettinesspretty-by-nightpretty-prettypretty-printpretty-printer

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.

prety Middle English prættiġ Old English *prattug Proto-West Germanic *prattugaz Proto-Germanic

View etymology graph ->

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# pretty

**Type:** Word
**Level:** A1
**Part of speech:** adv, adj
**IPA (US):** /ˈpɹɪt.i/
**IPA (UK):** /ˈpɹɪt.i/
**Frequency rank:** 294

## Meanings
1. To a fairly large degree; quite.
2. Attractive and pleasant to look at.
3. Nice-looking and appealing, used of objects or places.

## Examples
- The film was pretty good, but a bit too long.
- She wore a pretty blue dress to the party.
- They live in a pretty little village by the sea.

## Antonyms
- ugly

## Derived Forms
- none-so-pretty
- pdq
- pertineer
- prettification
- prettiful
- prettify
- prettikins
- prettiness
- pretty-by-night
- pretty-pretty
- pretty-print
- pretty-printer

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: prety
- Root: prættiġ
- Root: *prattug
- Root: *prattugaz

## 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.

## AI Etymology
Pretty comes 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. In present-day English it covers to a fairly large degree; quite, attractive and pleasant to look at, and nice-looking and appealing, used of objects or places. The wider family includes derived forms such as none-so-pretty, pdq, pertineer, prettification, prettiful.

## Topics
- Describing Qualities

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