1.pretty着重指女性适度的美,指娇小可爱,侧重表面的吸引力或部分的美。语气较beautiful弱,且大多用来指年轻的女性,一般不用来描写成年男性。
2.pretty也可以用于男女儿童,表示漂亮、活泼、可爱。
3.pretty用于物或动物,常含有“小巧玲珑,精致美好”的意思。
4.pretty还可作“出色的”解,相当于excellent或good。
5.pretty有时用作贬义,指“娘娘腔的男子”“不好的,不妙的”,在句中作定语。

a pretty penny
大笔钱 a lot of money
Renovating that house will cost you a pretty penny.为了修缮那栋房子你得花很多钱。
It costs a pretty penny to have a car these days because of the high price of petrol.由于汽油昂贵,拥有一辆汽车要花一大笔钱。
Highways, already costing states a pretty penny, are going to eat into state treasuries at a faster pace.已经花了一大笔钱的公路,现在正以更快的速度消耗着国库。
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as pretty as picture
非常漂亮,美丽如画 very pretty
The tiny cottage with its leaded windows and thatched roof was as pretty as a picture.这家有铅条窗户、草盖屋顶的小农舍美丽如画。
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not just a pretty face
不仅仅相貌好(还有其他特点) not just sb who is superficially attractive without having other qualities or abilities
His good looks won him in the election but he has still to prove that he's not just a pretty face.他由于仪表堂堂而当选,但他尚须证明绝非徒有其表。
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sitting pretty
处境幸运 in a fortunate situation, especially when others are unlucky
I was properly insured so I'm sitting pretty.我已有了一定的保险,因而有备无患了。
These problems don't worry you; you're sitting pretty.这些问题难不倒你,你处于极为有利的地位。
His uncle died and left him enough to be sitting pretty.他叔父去世后给他留下的遗产足够他过优裕的日子。
If you make 10,000 pounds profit when you sell this house, you'll really be sitting pretty!如果卖这房子能获1万英镑的利润,那你收入真可观!

用作定语
▲～+n.
They competed for a pretty girl.他们曾为一个漂亮女孩而竞争。
Just who is the pretty girl sitting beside you?坐在你旁边的那个漂亮女孩究竟是谁呀?
The pretty girl has a delicate skin.这位漂亮的姑娘具有细嫩的皮肤。
The weasel is a very pretty little creature. 黄鼬是一种很可爱的小动物。
My aunt lives in a pretty cottage in the country.我婶婶住在乡下的一间可爱的小屋里。
He married a girl for her pretty face.他因姑娘漂亮而娶了她。
Even though she was so young she obtained employment as a governess.She made a very pretty one, too.她年纪虽然很轻,却被聘为家庭教师,而且做得很出色。
The bodies of the victims were not a pretty sight.这些遇难者的尸体惨不忍睹。
That was a pretty dumb thing to do.那件事做得可真蠢。
This is a pretty state of affairs!事情糟透了!
You've got yourself into a pretty mess now!你现在可惹了麻烦了!
He wrecked his dad's car, and now he is in a pretty fix.他把他爸爸的车弄坏了,现在他处境很不妙。
It's a pretty state of affairs when I can't afford the price of a pint of beer any more!当我连一品脱啤酒也买不起的时候,那局面可真惨啦!
He is a young man with a pretty face.(他是个小白脸。)他是个娘娘腔的青年男子。
用作表语
▲S+be+～
 Some girls are pretty; a few, but very few, are beautiful.有些姑娘长得还算好看,但是称得上美的却很少。
She is not really beautiful, but she looks pretty when she smiles. 她其实并不美,但笑起来很可爱。
The little garden is pretty.这座小花园很美。
▲S+be+～+that-clause
 Helen is so pretty and popular that all the boys eat out of her hand.海伦既漂亮又讨人喜欢,使所有的男孩都对她俯首听命。

pretty, beautiful, good-looking, handsome
参见beautiful条。
pretty, beautiful, fine, nice, wonderful
参见nice条。

1.pretty还可用作动词,常与up连用,意思是“打扮,美化”。例如:
Mary prettied herself up for the dancing party.玛丽为参加舞会而打扮了一番。
We prettied the place up a bit with a few flowers.我们用一些花把这个地方装饰得漂亮一些了。
2.pretty也可作名词,表示对妻子儿女的爱称。例如:
Come here, my pretty!过来,我的心肝宝贝!
pretty还可表示“漂亮东西或服饰”,这时常用复数。例如:
She has put on all her pretties.她打扮得花枝招展。

［同义词］ adv.  fairly, moderately, quite, rather adj.  attractive, charming, good-looking, handsome, lovely
［反义词］ adj.  tasteless, ugly, unsightly, ungainly
［词源］  ＜古英语prætting(狡猾的)

pretty用作副词,主要用于非正式场合的口语中,一般用作减弱语,即针对于一定标准而在程度上有所减弱,可修饰使人产生好感的词,也可修饰产生恶感的词。另一方面, pretty又可作为形容词或副词的强化语。究竟是减弱抑或强化,须根据上下文而定。

pretty much〔nearly,well〕
几乎,差不多 almost
The two are pretty much the same.这两个几乎一模一样。
The result was pretty much to be expected.结果同预期的非常接近。
“How is the sick man today?”“Pretty much as he was yesterday.”“这位病号今天怎样?”“跟昨天差不多。”
The car is pretty nearly new.那辆车跟新的差不多。
She told him pretty nearly all the secrets of her married life.她差不多把婚后生活的全部秘密都告诉他。
He's pretty well finished his latest book already.他最新的一本书差不多快完成了。

用作状语
I'm pretty certain she enjoys it.我非常相信她会喜欢它的。
The situation seems pretty hopeless.这情况似乎没有多大的希望。
She seemed pretty satisfied with the result.她对那结果似乎相当满意。
She looked pretty secure, but he elbowed her out of the vice presidency.她的地位看来很稳固,但却被他挤出了副总裁的位置。
The car is pretty nearly new.这辆汽车几乎是全新的。
She was in pretty good health, only a little tired.她身体还是不错的,只是有点疲倦。
This curry is pretty fiery.这种咖喱非常辣。
You are pretty certain to be seen by someone who knows you.你一定被认识你的人看见了。
Her sister is still pretty sick.她的姐姐仍然病得相当厉害。
Pretty soon the lilacs would be in bloom.紫丁香不久就要开花。
The wind blew pretty hard.风刮得很猛。

pretty, prettily
pretty有“相当”的意思,用作副词表程度,修饰形容词或副词,一般用于口语中。prettily也是副词,但表示“漂亮地”。例如:
She decorated the room very prettily.她把屋子装饰得很漂亮。
She smiled prettily as she accepted the flowers.她在接受鲜花时笑得很迷人。
pretty, fairly, quite
参见fairly条。
下面两个句子意思不同:
It's pretty impossible to travel over these
mountains in winter.
冬天越过这些大山旅行,相当不可能。
It's pretty well impossible to travel over
these mountains in winter.
冬天越过这些大山旅行,几乎是不可
能的。