Pretty is used to tone down a statement and is in wide use across the whole spectrum of English. It is common in informal speech and writing but is neither rare nor wrong in serious discourse.

We can use pretty as an adverb, before an adjective or another adverb, meaning ‘quite, but not extremely’. It is informal: … That's a pretty hat you're wearing. The sofa was covered in very …

Something or someone that is pretty is pleasing to the eye. But calling someone pretty isn’t quite the same as calling them beautiful, handsome, or lovely.

1. To a fair degree; moderately: a pretty good student. 2. In a pretty manner; prettily or pleasingly.

Find 447 different ways to say PRETTY, along with antonyms, related words, and example sentences at Thesaurus.com.

Nov 7, 2025 · 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.

If you describe someone as pretty, you mean that they are attractive. She's a very charming and very pretty girl.