pret·ty (prĭt'ē)
adj., -ti·er, -ti·est.

1. Pleasing or attractive in a graceful or delicate way. See synonyms at beautiful.
2. Clever; adroit: a pretty maneuver.
3. Very bad; terrible: in a pretty predicament; a situation that has reached a pretty pass.
4. Ostensibly or superficially attractive but lacking substance or conviction: full of pretty phrases.
5. Informal. Considerable in size or extent: a pretty fortune.

adv.

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

n., pl., -ties.

1. One that is pretty.
2. pretties Delicate clothing, especially lingerie.

tr.v., -tied, -ty·ing, -ties.
To make pretty: pretty up the house.

idiom:

pretty much

1. For the most part; mostly: "The . . . matter was pretty much dying down" (John Strahinich).

[Middle English prety, clever, fine, handsome, from Old English prættig, cunning, from prætt, trick.]

prettily pret'ti·ly adv.
prettiness pret'ti·ness n.

---

The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition Copyright © 2007, 2000 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Updated in 2009. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.

---