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 …

PRETTY definition: pleasing or attractive to the eye, as by delicacy or gracefulness. See examples of pretty used in a sentence.

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

3 days ago · Use the word pretty to describe something with a delicate and pleasant appearance. Something that’s pretty is less powerful and intimidating than something that’s beautiful, the …

6 days ago · 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.

pleasing or attractive, esp. in a delicate or graceful way: a pretty face. pleasing or charming but not grand or overwhelming: a pretty little cabin in the woods.

There are 20 meanings listed in OED's entry for the word pretty, four of which are labelled obsolete. See ‘Meaning & use’ for definitions, usage, and quotation evidence.

23 hours ago · Pretty paper!”, to get the attention of people walking by, which is where the instantly recognizable title and lyrics came from. For many years, the man’s identity was a …

1 day ago · Connie Francis' 1962 Song 'Pretty Little Baby' Becomes TikTok's 2025 Top Global Track 5 Months After Singer's Death More than 60 years after its release, Connie Francis' …