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Definition of prettynext
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as in nice
giving pleasure or contentment to the mind or senses she was not a pretty sight after she fell off her horse and into the mud

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

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pretty

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adverb

pretty

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noun

Synonym Chooser

How does the adjective pretty differ from other similar words?

Some common synonyms of pretty are beautiful, comely, fair, handsome, and lovely. While all these words mean "exciting sensuous or aesthetic pleasure," pretty often applies to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness.

a painter of conventionally pretty scenes

When is beautiful a more appropriate choice than pretty?

The words beautiful and pretty can be used in similar contexts, but beautiful applies to whatever excites the keenest of pleasure to the senses and stirs emotion through the senses.

beautiful mountain scenery

How do comely and handsome relate to one another, in the sense of pretty?

Comely is like handsome in suggesting what is coolly approved rather than emotionally responded to.

the comely grace of a dancer

Where would fair be a reasonable alternative to pretty?

In some situations, the words fair and pretty are roughly equivalent. However, fair suggests beauty because of purity, flawlessness, or freshness.

fair of face

When might handsome be a better fit than pretty?

While in some cases nearly identical to pretty, handsome suggests aesthetic pleasure due to proportion, symmetry, or elegance.

a handsome Georgian mansion

How are the words lovely and beautiful related as synonyms of pretty?

Lovely is close to beautiful but applies to a narrower range of emotional excitation in suggesting the graceful, delicate, or exquisite.

a lovely melody

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of pretty
Adjective
French country interior design is a nice balance of well-worn, simple, and pretty accents, according to Darden. Tessa Cooper, The Spruce, 27 Apr. 2026 Light blue dresses are officially the prettiest trend for summer 2026. Lucía Tejo, Glamour, 26 Apr. 2026
Adverb
This afternoon is looking dry for pretty much everyone. Ron Smiley, CBS News, 6 May 2026 That’s a pretty wide range of possible outcomes overall, but on balance, there are a lot of really high-impact seasons in that group of former top picks. James Mirtle, New York Times, 6 May 2026
Noun
From Saturday, March 1, to Saturday, April 12, 2025 pretty Venus goes retrograde. Sophie Saint Thomas, Allure, 28 Feb. 2025 Situated in the scenic village of Alfriston, the hotel is surrounded by a bustling community famed for throwing fetes and fayres on the ‘Tye’ (the village green), the sweeping South Downs National Park and chocolate-box-pretty pubs. Angelina Villa-Clarke, Forbes, 8 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for pretty
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretty
Adjective
  • Two-year-old Mala Audio Bar sets its cocktails to the crackle of vintage vinyl, while Konbini hides behind a grocery storefront, opening into a Colombian-Japanese speakeasy where disco and highballs collide amid a beautiful crowd.
    Allie Lazar, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 May 2026
  • My father, a boy, sat in the back seat with his brothers and Choute—Duchess of Montmoreau, née de Troguindy, a beautiful and aristocratic woman who went by this single childhood nickname.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 6 May 2026
Adjective
  • One thing that makes Vim comfortable for me is the combination of Vim-Airline and Promptline, which together provide a nice status bar that helps highlight some useful info as one is editing a file.
    Lee Hutchinson, ArsTechnica, 6 May 2026
  • Right now, trends favor nice and pleasant weather Mother's Day morning into mid-afternoon with the chance of rain increasing toward the dinner hour and beyond.
    Cutter Martin, CBS News, 6 May 2026
Adjective
  • As a major destination for outdoor parties ranging from pop-up shops for local vendors to off-season wedding celebrations, the team informs guests of any events on the agenda before booking, so each stay is suitable to visitor preferences.
    Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 7 May 2026
  • By that point, then owner James Dolan, the controversial businessman whose family has a controlling interest in the companies that oversee MSG and the New York Knicks, cast the team out of New York City and up to Westchester County Center, a microdome more suitable for high schoolers.
    Yohana Desta, Vanity Fair, 7 May 2026
Adverb
  • The slow, long-simmering of bones extracts minerals, amino acids and other nutrients that the relatively brief cooking of stock cannot.
    BestReviews, Mercury News, 7 May 2026
  • Per that metric, Wu Tsai and her executive team have blown past expectations, building a franchise worth hundreds of millions in a relatively short amount of time.
    Yohana Desta, Vanity Fair, 7 May 2026
Noun
  • One was a real looker but not keen to enter some charade with Jed, whose big smile put her off.
    Thomas McGuane, New Yorker, 19 Apr. 2026
  • Harry Melling is a late-blooming looker.
    Amy Nicholson, Los Angeles Times, 5 Feb. 2026
Adjective
  • The Otesaga Resort Hotel Cooperstown, New York If a pilgrimage to the National Baseball Hall of Fame is on your family vacation bucket list, combine your visit with a stay at The Otesaga Resort Hotel for a lovely lakeside getaway.
    Beth Luberecki, USA Today, 6 May 2026
  • Completing the triptych is the story of yet another student in 1972, the shy Hannes (Enzo Brumm), who hopes to study poetry but is soon taken with the lovely Gundula (Marlene Burow), who is researching the neural responses of the geranium on her windowsill.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 May 2026
Adjective
  • The day Chunhyang and Mongryong met each other for the first time was exceptionally pleasant.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 1 May 2026
  • The fruit is sweet with pleasant, slightly tangy undertones.
    Nadia Hassani, The Spruce, 1 May 2026
Adjective
  • The Messings, to their credit, ultimately agreed that a social-rehabilitation program was the appropriate path for me.
    Chang-rae Lee, New Yorker, 3 May 2026
  • Not only atypical job seekers like me, but also people looking for housing, appropriate medical treatment, and a fair financial shake from lenders.
    Michelle Dally, Denver Post, 2 May 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pretty.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretty. Accessed 8 May. 2026.

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