# pretty

> English word · Adjective · IPA /ˈpɹɪt.i/ · frequency rank #416

## Definitions
1. Pleasant to the sight or other senses; attractive, especially of women or children.
2. Of objects or things: nice-looking, appealing.
3. Fine-looking; only superficially attractive; initially appealing but having little substance; see petty.
4. Effeminate.
5. Cunning; clever, skilful.
6. Moderately large; considerable.
7. Excellent, commendable, pleasing; fitting or proper (of actions, thoughts etc.).
8. Awkward, unpleasant, bad.
9. Matching commonly accepted principles of formatting and syntax, for the sake of readability.

## Etymology
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.

## Easily confused with
- **prey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pretty-vs-prey)
- **putty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pretty-vs-putty)
- **petty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/petty-vs-pretty)
- **PRATT** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/pratt-vs-pretty)
- **Patty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/patty-vs-pretty)
- **potty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/potty-vs-pretty)
- **piety** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/piety-vs-pretty)
- **Petey** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/petey-vs-pretty)
- **plenty** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/plenty-vs-pretty)
- **poetry** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/poetry-vs-pretty)
- **presto** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/presto-vs-pretty)
- **preppy** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/preppy-vs-pretty)

## Common misspellings (8)
`pertty`, `ppretty`, `prettyy`, `prety`, `pretyt`, `prretty`, `prtety`, `rpetty`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/pretty