pretty

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pretty [adjective]
US /ˈprɪt̬.i/ 
UK /ˈprɪt.i/ 
Example: 

a pretty little garden

Oxford Essential Dictionary

pretty

 adjective (prettier, prettiest)
nice to look at:
a pretty little girl
These flowers are very pretty.

Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English

II. pretty2 S2 W3 BrE AmE adjective (comparative prettier, superlative prettiest)
[Language: Old English; Origin: prættig 'tricky', from prætt 'trick']
1. a woman or child who is pretty has a nice attractive face:
a pretty little girl
Maria looks much prettier with her hair cut short.
2. something that is pretty is pleasant to look at or listen to but is not impressive:
a pretty dress
The tune is pretty.
What a pretty little garden!
3. not a pretty sight very unpleasant to look at – sometimes used humorously:
After a night’s drinking, Al was not a pretty sight.
4. not just a pretty face spoken used humorously to say that someone is intelligent, when people think this is surprising:
I’m not just a pretty face, you know!
5. come to a pretty pass old-fashioned used to say that a very bad situation has developed:
Things have come to a pretty pass, if you can’t say what you think without causing a fight.
6. cost a pretty penny old-fashioned to cost a lot of money
7. pretty as a picture old-fashioned very pretty
—prettily adverb:
Charlotte sang very prettily.
—prettiness noun [uncountable]

Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

adjective (pret·tier, pret·ti·est)
1. (especially of a woman, or a girl) attractive without being very beautiful
a pretty face
a pretty little girl

You look so pretty in that dress!

2. (of places or things) attractive and pleasant to look at or to listen to without being large, beautiful or impressive
pretty clothes
a pretty garden
a pretty name
more at come to a pretty pass at  pass  n.  
Word Origin:
Old English prættig; related to Middle Dutch pertich ‘brisk, clever’, obsolete Dutch prettig ‘humorous, sporty’, from a West Germanic base meaning ‘trick’. The sense development ‘deceitful, cunning, clever, skilful, admirable, pleasing, nice’ has parallels in adjectives such as canny, fine, nice, etc.  
Thesaurus:
pretty adj.
1.
She's a very pretty girl.
beautifulattractivegood-lookingstrikinghandsome|especially BrE lovely|informal gorgeousstunning|especially AmE, informal cute
Opp: plain
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/good-looking/striking/handsome/lovely/gorgeous/stunning/cute girl/woman
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/good-looking/handsome/lovely/gorgeous/cute boy
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/good-looking/striking/handsome/lovely/cute face
2.
Lydia— what a pretty name!
beautifulattractivepicturesquesceniccharmingexquisite|especially BrE lovely
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/picturesque/charming place/town/village
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/exquisite/lovely design
a/an pretty/beautiful/attractive/charming/exquisite/lovely voice  
Synonyms:
beautiful
pretty handsome attractive lovely good-looking gorgeous
These words all describe people who are pleasant to look at.
beautiful(especially of a woman or girl) very pleasant to look at: She looked stunningly beautiful that night.
pretty(especially of a girl or woman) pleasant to look at: She's got a very pretty face.
Pretty is used most often to talk about girls. When it is used to talk about a woman, it usually suggests that she is like a girl, with small, delicate features.
handsome(of a man) pleasant to look at; (of a woman) pleasant to look at, with large strong features rather than small delicate ones: He was described as ‘ tall, dark and handsome ’.
attractive(of a person) pleasant to look at, especially in a sexual way: She's a very attractive woman.
lovely(of a person) beautiful; very attractive: She looked particularly lovely that night.
When you describe sb as lovely, you are usually showing that you also have a strong feeling of affection for them.
good-looking(of a person) pleasant to look at, often in a sexual way: She arrived with a very good-looking man.
gorgeous(informal) (of a person) extremely attractive, especially in a sexual way: You look gorgeous!
attractive or good-looking?
If you describe sb as attractive you often also mean that they have a pleasant personality as well as being pleasant to look at; good-looking just describes sb's physical appearance.
a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking/gorgeous girl/woman
a(n) beautiful/handsome/attractive/good-looking/gorgeous boy/man
a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking face  
Example Bank:
She's very attractive, though not conventionally pretty.
‘I didn't know you could play the piano.’ ‘I'm not just a pretty face, you know!’
A pretty little girl was standing in the doorway.
Lydia— what a pretty name!
She's got a very pretty face.
That's a pretty flower— what's it called?

You should have seen him in his swimming trunks— not a pretty sight!

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary

Cambridge Advanced Learner's Dictionary - 4th Edition
 

pretty / ˈprɪt.i /   / ˈprɪt̬- / adjective

A2 pleasant to look at, or (especially of girls or women or things connected with them) attractive or pleasant in a delicate way:

That's a pretty hat you're wearing.

The sofa was covered in very pretty flowery material.

She's got such a pretty daughter.

 

prettiness / -nəs / noun [ U ]

© Cambridge University Press 2013

Collins Advanced Learner’s English Dictionary

pretty

/prɪti/
(prettier, prettiest)

Frequency: The word is one of the 1500 most common words in English.

1.
If you describe someone, especially a girl, as pretty, you mean that they look nice and are attractive in a delicate way.
She’s a very charming and very pretty girl.
ADJ
pret‧ti‧ly
She smiled again, prettily.
ADV
pret‧ti‧ness
Her prettiness had been much admired.
N-UNCOUNT

2.
A place or a thing that is pretty is attractive and pleasant, in a charming but not particularly unusual way.
Whitstable is still a very pretty little town.
ADJ
pret‧ti‧ly
The living-room was prettily decorated.
ADV
pret‧ti‧ness
...shells of quite unbelievable prettiness.
N-UNCOUNT

3.
You can use pretty before an adjective or adverb to mean ‘quite’ or ‘rather’. (INFORMAL)
I had a pretty good idea what she was going to do...
Pretty soon after my arrival I found lodgings.
ADV: ADV adj/adv

4.
Pretty much or pretty well means ‘almost’. (INFORMAL)
His new government looks pretty much like the old one...
PHRASE

Merriam-Webster's Advanced Learner's Dictionary

1pret·ty /ˈprɪti/ adj pret·ti·er; -est [also more ~; most ~]
1 a : attractive to look at usually in a simple or delicate way
• a pretty dress
pretty flowers
- used especially of a girl or woman
• She has a pretty face.
• I've never seen her looking so happy or so pretty.
b : pleasant to look at or listen to
• a pretty sunset/room/voice/name/poem
• That song is pretty. = That's a pretty song. synonyms seebeautiful
2 always used before a noun : large or impressive
• He made a pretty profit selling his antique car.
• She received a pretty sum of money.
3 : pleasant to see or experience
• What a pretty [=nice] day.
- usually used in negative statements
• The game wasn't pretty but at least we won.
• It isn't going to be pretty when the mayor finds out his son has been arrested.
• The kitchen was not a pretty sight [=the kitchen was very messy] after we finished making breakfast.
4 always used before a noun old-fashioned : very unpleasant
• What a pretty [=terrible] mess you've gotten us into!
• a pretty [=miserable] state of affairs
a pretty penny
- see penny
(as) pretty as a picture old-fashioned : very attractive or pleasant to look at : very pretty
• She is as pretty as a picture!
pretty face
✦Someone who is not just a/another pretty face or more than (just) a pretty face is attractive but also has other good qualities, such as intelligence.
• If he wants to get people to vote for him, he's got to prove he's more than just a pretty face.