Definizione monolingua

pretty

pretty (third-person singular simple present pretties, present participle prettying, simple past and past participle prettied)

1. To make pretty; to beautify
   • 2007, Eric Knight, Lassie Come-Home^[1], ISBN 0312371314, page 29:

     He sat on the hearth rug and began prettying the dogs coat.

pretty (plural pretties)

1. Something that is pretty.

   ""Well stop at the knife store a look at the sharp pretties.

   • 1939, Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf, The Wizard of Oz

     Ill get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!

pretty (comparative prettier, superlative prettiest)

1. Cunning; clever, skilful. [from 9th c.]
   • 1877, George Hesekiel and Bayard Taylor, Bismarck his Authentic Biography, p. 380:

     In the end, however, it was a very pretty shot, right across the chasm; killed first fire, and the brute fell headlong into the brook [...].

2. Pleasant in sight or other senses; attractive, especially of women or children. [from 15th c.]
   • 2010, Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 4 Feb 2010:

     To escape a violent beating from sailors to whom he has sold a non-­functioning car, Jerry takes his stepfamily for a holiday in a trailer park miles away, where, miraculously, young Nick meets a very pretty young woman called Sheeni, played by Portia Doubleday.

3. Of objects or things: nice-looking, appealing. [from 15th c.]
   • 2010, Lia Leendertz, The Guardian, 13 Feb 2010:

     Petit Posy brassicas [...] are a cross between kale and brussels sprouts, and are really very pretty with a mild, sweet taste.

4. (often pejorative) Fine-looking; only superficially attractive; initially appealing but having little substance. [from 15th c.]
   • 1962, ""New Life for the Liberals"", Time, 28 Sep 1962:

     Damned by the Socialists as ""traitors to the working class,"" its leaders were decried by Tories as ""faceless peddlers of politics with a pretty little trinket for every taste.""

5. (dated) Moderately large; considerable. [from 15th c.]
   • 1621, Robert Burton, The Anatomy of Melancholy, I.2.4.vii:

     they flung all the goods in the house out at the windows into the street, or into the sea, as they supposed; thus they continued mad a pretty season [...].

   • 2004, ""Because Theyre Worth it"", Time, 26 Jan 04:

     ""What did you do to your hair?"" The answer could be worth a pretty penny for LOreal.

6. (dated) Excellent, commendable, pleasing; fitting or proper (of actions, thoughts etc.). [from 16th c.]
   • 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, Boston 1867, p. 75:

     Some people are surprised, I believe, that that the eldest was not [named after his father], but Isabella would have him named Henry, which I thought very pretty of her.

   • 1926, Ernest Hemingway, The sun also rises??, page 251:

     ""Oh, Jake."" Brett said, ""we could have had such a damned good time together."" Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me. ""Yes"", I said. ""Isnt it pretty to think so?""

7. (sarcastic) Awkward, unpleasant. [from 16th c.]
   • 1931, ""Done to a Turn"", Time, 26 Jan 1931:

     His sadistic self-torturings finally landed him in a pretty mess: still completely married, practically sure he was in love with Tillie, he made dishonorable proposals of marriage to two other women.

pretty (not comparable)

1. Somewhat, fairly, quite; used as a mild intensifier of adjectives and adverbs.
   • 1859, Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species, I:

     It seems pretty clear that organic beings must be exposed during several generations to the new conditions of life to cause any appreciable amount of variation [...].

2. somewhat, fairly; contrasted with greater intensifiers.

   Its pretty good, but not outstanding.

Definizione dizionario pretty

	carino
	especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive

	grazioso
	especially of women and children: pleasant, attractive

bellino

bello

	aggraziato
	Pleasant to look at.

	attraente
	Pleasing or appealing to the senses.

abbastanza

affascinante

amabile

amichevole

approssimativamente

basta

bella

bellissimo

benevole

buono

carina

circa

civettuolo

considerevole

cortese

delizioso

eccellente

elegante

gentile

gradevole

leggiadro

molto

piuttosto

simpatico

squisito

sufficiente

vano

vezzoso

Altri significati:

Of objects or things: nice-looking, appealing. [from 15th c.]

(often pejorative) Fine-looking; only superficially attractive; initially appealing but having little substance. [from 15th c.]

(sarcastic) Awkward, unpleasant. [from 16th c.]

Pleasant in sight.

(dated) Moderately large; considerable. [from 15th c.]

somewhat; contrasted with greater intensifiers

(dated) Excellent, commendable, pleasing; fitting or proper (of actions, thoughts etc.). [from 16th c.]

To make pretty; to beautify

somewhat, fairly; contrasted with greater intensifiers.

Cunning; clever, skilful. [from 9th c.]

Pleasant in sight or other senses; attractive, especially of women or children. [from 15th c.]

cunning, clever, skilful

somewhat, fairly, quite; used as a mild intensifier of adjectives and adverbs.

somewhat; used as a mild intensifier

Something that is pretty.

of objects: nice-looking