unpretty









unpretty


adjective, pret·ti·er, pret·ti·est.

  1. pleasing or attractive to the eye, as by delicacy or gracefulness: a pretty face.
  2. (of things, places, etc.) pleasing to the eye, especially without grandeur.
  3. pleasing to the ear: a pretty tune.
  4. pleasing to the mind or aesthetic taste: He writes pretty little stories.
  5. (often used ironically) fine; grand: This is a pretty mess!
  6. Informal. considerable; fairly great: This accident will cost him a pretty sum.
  7. Archaic or Scot.. brave; hardy.

noun, plural pret·ties.

  1. Usually pretties. pretty ornaments, clothes, etc.
  2. a pretty person: Sit down, my pretty.

adverb

  1. fairly or moderately: Her work was pretty good.
  2. quite; very: The wind blew pretty hard.
  3. Informal. prettily.

verb (used with object), pret·tied, pret·ty·ing.

  1. to make pretty; improve the appearance of (sometimes followed by up): to pretty oneself for a party; to pretty up a room.

Idioms

  1. sitting pretty, Informal.
    1. in an advantageous position.
    2. well-to-do; successful.

adjective -tier or -tiest

  1. pleasing or appealing in a delicate or graceful way
  2. dainty, neat, or charming
  3. commendable; good of its kindhe replied with a pretty wit
  4. informal, often ironic excellent, grand, or finehere’s a pretty mess!
  5. informal lacking in masculinity; effeminate; foppish
  6. Scot vigorous or brave
  7. an archaic word for elegant
  8. a pretty penny informal a large sum of money
  9. sitting pretty informal well placed or established financially, socially, etc

noun plural -ties

  1. a pretty person or thing

adverb

  1. informal fairly or moderately; somewhat
  2. informal quite or very

verb -ties, -tying or -tied

  1. (tr often foll by up) to make pretty; adorn

adj.Old English prættig (West Saxon), pretti (Kentish), *prettig (Mercian) “cunning, skillful, artful, wily, astute,” from prætt, *prett “a trick, wile, craft,” from West Germanic *pratt- (cf. Old Norse prettr “a trick,” prettugr “tricky;” Frisian pret, Middle Dutch perte, Dutch pret “trick, joke,” Dutch prettig “sportive, funny,” Flemish pertig “brisk, clever”), of unknown origin. Connection between Old English and Middle English words is uncertain, but if they are the same, meaning had shifted by c.1400 to “manly, gallant,” and later moved via “attractive, skillfully made,” to “fine,” to “beautiful in a slight way” (mid-15c.). Ironical use from 1530s. For sense evolution, compare nice, silly. Also used of bees (c.1400). “After the OE. period the word is unknown till the 15th c., when it becomes all at once frequent in various senses, none identical with the OE., though derivable from it” [OED]. Meaning “not a few, considerable” is from late 15c. With a sense of “moderately,” qualifying adjectives and adverbs, since 1560s. Pretty please as an emphatic plea is attested from 1902. A pretty penny “lot of money” is first recorded 1768. v.1916, usually with up, from pretty (adj.). Related: Prettied; prettying. Cf. prettify. n.“a pretty person or thing,” 1736, from pretty (adj.). In addition to the idioms beginning with pretty

  • pretty as a picture
  • pretty much
  • pretty penny, a
  • also see:

  • in a fix (pretty pickle)
  • kettle of fish, pretty
  • sitting pretty
  • 49 queries 0.556