pretty
/prĭt′ē/
adjective
- Pleasing or attractive in a graceful or delicate way. synonym: beautiful.
- Clever; adroit. a pretty maneuver.
- Very bad; terrible. in a pretty predicament; a situation that has reached a pretty pass.
Merriam-Webster
merriam-webster.com › dictionary › pretty
PRETTY Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster
The meaning of PRETTY is artful, clever. How to use pretty in a sentence. Using Pretty as an Adverb: Usage Guide Synonym Discussion of Pretty.
Oxford Learner's Dictionaries
oxfordlearnersdictionaries.com › us › definition › english › pretty_1
pretty adverb - Definition, pictures, pronunciation and usage notes | Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary at OxfordLearnersDictionaries.com
In North American English quite usually means something like ‘very’, not ‘fairly’ or ‘rather’. Pretty is used instead for this sense.
Speak Confident English
speakconfidentenglish.com › home › #211: pretty much, pretty sure meaning — use pretty as an adverb
Pretty Much, Pretty Sure Meaning — Use Pretty as an Adverb
July 14, 2021 - What exactly does ‘pretty’ ... work in those phrases? The simple truth is: it doesn’t. With pretty much, pretty sure, pretty upset, or pretty disappointed, the word ‘pretty’ is an adverb....
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Cambridge Dictionary
dictionary.cambridge.org › us › grammar › british-grammar › pretty
Pretty - English Grammar Today - Cambridge Dictionary
We can use pretty as an adverb, before an adjective or another adverb, meaning ‘quite, but not extremely’. It is informal:
Vocabulary.com
vocabulary.com › dictionary › pretty
Pretty - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com
If you say, “That’s a pretty mess you got me into!” that means it’s a bad mess. Pretty has an adverb form that means something is present to a moderate degree, another way to say fairly.
WordHippo
wordhippo.com › what-is › the-adverb-for › pretty.html
What is the adverb for pretty?
Adverbs for pretty include prettily and pretty. Find more words at wordhippo.com!
Dictionary.com
dictionary.com › browse › pretty
PRETTY Definition & Meaning | Dictionary.com
The qualifying adverb pretty, meaning “fairly or moderately” has been in general use since the late 16th century.
Oxford English Dictionary
oed.com › dictionary › pretty_adv
pretty, adv. meanings, etymology and more | Oxford English Dictionary
See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence. ... Etymons: pretty adj. ... The earliest known use of the adverb pretty is in the mid 1500s.
Primavera English
primaveraenglish.com › word-of-the-month-pretty
Word of the Month: pretty | Primavera English
Pretty is a pretty common word in English, because it has an adjective, adverb, and verb form. You will most often hear it being used in its adverb form, where it means “moderately,” or “quite”...
WordType
wordtype.org › of › pretty
What type of word is 'pretty'? Pretty can be an adverb, a noun, a verb or an adjective - Word Type
pretty can be used as a adverb in the sense of "somewhat, fairly, quite;" or "somewhat, fairly;" pretty can be used as a noun in the sense of "Something that is pretty." pretty can be used as a verb in the sense of "To make pretty; to beautify" pretty can be used as a adjective in the sense ...
Collins Dictionary
collinsdictionary.com › dictionary › english › pretty
PRETTY definition and meaning | Collins English Dictionary
If you describe someone as pretty, you mean that they are attractive. She is a shy, pretty girl with enormous blue eyes. ... You can use pretty before an adjective or adverb to mean `quite' or `rather'.
Published March 20, 2018
Engoo
engoo.com › app › words › word › pretty › zga0ELstQmCjlQAAAAB7-Q
pretty (【Adverb】moderately or very ) Meaning, Usage, and ...
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Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › dictionary › pretty
Pretty Definition & Meaning | Britannica Dictionary
2 pretty /ˈprɪti/ adverb · 2 pretty · /ˈprɪti/ adverb · Britannica Dictionary definition of PRETTY · 1 · : to some degree or extent but not very or extremely : fairly · The house was pretty [=moderately, rather] big.
Test-English
test-english.com › explanations › b1+ grammar explanations › pretty, rather, quite, fairly – adverbs of degree
Pretty, Rather, Quite, Fairly – Adverbs of degree - Test-English
May 18, 2025 - Pretty, meaning ‘less than very, but to a large degree’, can only be used before adjectives and adverbs.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/grammar › the use of “pretty”
r/grammar on Reddit: The use of “pretty”
December 17, 2021 -
Someone said “I pretty liked it.” How do I explain why that’s wrong? You can say I really liked but not pretty liked or very liked. How do I do explain this to a student?
Top answer 1 of 2
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It seems like they're trying to use the adverb definition of pretty here. But in this case, pretty cannot be used to directly describe a verb. It just doesn't work like that. "I liked it pretty much." Or "I liked it pretty well." Would be correct.
2 of 2
1
I'm seeing online that "pretty" can be used as an adverb, but in all the examples I see, it's still an adjective. "He ran pretty fast," for example--"pretty" is an adjective describing "fast," not an adverb describing "ran." He didn't run "pretty." However, "pretty fast" is all together an adverbial phrase, but "pretty" functions as an adjective within that phrase. "Really," though, can definitely be an adverb, although this usage is a little slangy. One way to explain it is that an adverb frequently can answer the question How. How did he like the movie? "Really." Meaning "in reality." Again, slangy--substitute "totally" if you'd like--but it passes the test of being an adverb. "How did he like the movie?"/"Pretty" does not make sense as an exchange. According to Merriam-Webster, "prettily" is an acceptable adverbial form of the word, though that sounds a little awkward to me personally.
Wiktionary
simple.wiktionary.org › wiki › pretty
pretty - Simple English Wiktionary
You use pretty before an adjective or adverb to mean "more than a little".
English-Language Thoughts
englishlanguagethoughts.com › 2017 › 10 › 04 › pretty-pretty-pretty-good
Pretty, Pretty, Pretty Good – English-Language Thoughts
October 4, 2017 - The fact that pretty as an adjective means only somewhat beautiful may have helped it to develop the adverbial meaning of somewhat, though that meaning of pretty as an adjective is possibly too modern for that to have had an effect.
Encyclopedia Britannica
britannica.com › dictionary › eb › qa › pretty-fairly-really-very-and-quite
Pretty, fairly, really, very, and quite | Britannica Dictionary
Fairly and pretty weaken the adverbs or adjectives that they modify. They tell you that the quality described by the adverb or adjective is present, but only to a limited extent, as shown in the examples below. The meaning of fairly and pretty is similar to the meaning of another intensifier: ...
Quora
quora.com › What-does-the-adverb-pretty-mean-in-American-English
What does the adverb 'pretty' mean in American English? - Quora
Answer (1 of 5): As an adjective, “pretty” has always meant “pleasant to see,” in a mild sense. One could speak of having a “pretty” view of the lake from one’s hotel room window.