pretty

== English == === Alternative forms === pooty, purdy, purty (nonstandard and/or regional) pratty (dialectal) prettie, pretie (obsolete) === 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. === Pronunciation === (Received Pronunciation) IPA(key): /ˈpɹɪt.i/ (General American, Canada) IPA(key): /ˈpɹɪt.i/, [ˈpɹɪɾ.i] (US, dialectal) IPA(key): /ˈpɜɹ.ti/ (US, rare) IPA(key): /ˈpɹʊt.i/ (US, dated or humorous) IPA(key): /ˈpɔɪ.ti/ (General Australian) IPA(key): /ˈpɹɪt.i/, [ˈpɹɪɾ.i] (New Zealand) IPA(key): /ˈpɹət.i/, [ˈpɹə̞ɾ.i] (India) IPA(key): /ˈprɪʈ.i/, [pɾɪʈ(ː)iˑ] Rhymes: -ɪti === Adjective === pretty (comparative prettier, superlative prettiest) Pleasant to the sight or other senses; attractive, especially of women or children. [from 15th c.] Coordinate term: handsome Near-synonym: dainty Of objects or things: nice-looking, appealing. [from 15th c.] (often derogatory) Fine-looking; only superficially attractive; initially appealing but having little substance; see petty. [from 15th c.] (UK, sometimes derogatory) Effeminate. Cunning; clever, skilful. [from 9th c.] (dated) Moderately large; considerable. [from 15th c.] (dated) Excellent, commendable, pleasing; fitting or proper (of actions, thoughts etc.). [from 16th c.] (ironic) Awkward, unpleasant, bad. [from 16th c.] (programming, of code) Matching commonly accepted principles of formatting and syntax, for the sake of readability. ==== Antonyms ==== ugly ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Japanese: プリティー (puritī), プリティ (puriti), プリチー (purichī) ==== Translations ==== ==== Further reading ==== Pretty in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911) === Adverb === pretty (not comparable) Somewhat, fairly, quite; sometimes also (by meiosis) very. (dialect) Prettily, in a pretty manner. ==== 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. ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Translations ==== === Noun === pretty (plural pretties) A pretty person; a term of address to a pretty person. Something that is pretty. ==== Derived terms ==== play pretty stink pretty === Verb === pretty (third-person singular simple present pretties, present participle prettying, simple past and past participle prettied) To make pretty; to beautify ==== Derived terms ==== === Anagrams === Pettry