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adj. pret·ti·er, pret·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. pret·ties 1. One that is pretty. 2. pretties Delicate clothing, especially lingerie. tr.v. pret·tied, pret·ty·ing, pret·ties Idiom: To make pretty: pretty up the house. pretty much 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.] pretti·ly adv. pretti·ness n. |
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