Added 9 October 2026
pretty
/ˈpɹɪt.i/ adjective
In Latin: pulcher, scitulus Wiktionary
adjective Definition from WordNet 3.1, Princeton University. Pronunciation from Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org. More about pretty at Wordnik → Where our words come from →
-
Pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing.
pretty girl
-
(used ironically) unexpectedly bad.
a pretty mess
adverb
Origin
From Middle English prety, preti, praty, prati, from Old English prættiġ (“tricky, crafty, sly, cunning, wily, astute”), from Proto-West Germanic *prattug, from Proto-Germanic *prattugaz (“boastful, sly, slick, deceitful, tricky, cunning”), corresponding to prat (“trick”) + -y. Doublet of pratty. Cognate with Dutch prettig (“nice, pleasant”), Low German prettig (“funny”), Icelandic prettugur (“deceitful, tricky”). For the semantic development, compare canny, clever, cute.
From Wiktionary, via Kaikki.org (CC BY-SA)