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pretty adverb /ˈprɪti/ /ˈprɪti/ with adjectives and adverbs与形容词和副词连用 (rather informal)Idioms to some extent; fairly颇；相当- The game was pretty good.这个游戏相当不错。
- I'm pretty sure I'll be going.我相当肯定会去的。
- It's pretty hard to explain.这事很难解释清楚。
- I'm going to have to find a new apartment pretty soon.我很快就得找个新住处了。
Which Word? quite / fairly / rather / prettyquite / fairly / rather / prettyLook at these examples:看下列例句：- The exam was fairly difficult.这场考试颇难。
- The exam was quite difficult.这场考试相当难。
- The exam was rather difficult.这场考试十分难。
- Quite is a little stronger than fairly, and rather is a little stronger than quite. Rather is not very common in North American English; pretty has the same meaning and this is used in informal British English too:
- The exam was pretty difficult.这场考试十分难。
- In British English quite has two meanings:
- I feel quite tired today今天我感到相当累。
(= fairly tired). With adjectives that describe an extreme state (‘non-gradable’ adjectives) it means ‘completely’ or ‘absolutely’:与表示极端状态的形容词（即非级差形容词）连用，意为完全地、绝对地：- I feel quite exhausted.我感到筋疲力尽。
With some adjectives, both meanings are possible. The speaker’s stress and intonation will show you which is meant:与某些形容词连用，两种含义均有可能，究竟属于哪一种由说话者的重音和语调决定：- Your essay is quite good你的文章还不错（挺好，不过可以更好）；
(= fairly good—it could be better);- Your essay is quite good你的文章还不错（挺好，不过可以更好）；
(= very good, especially when this is unexpected). - In North American English quite usually means something like ‘very’, not ‘fairly’ or ‘rather’. Pretty is used instead for this sense.
very十分；非常；极；很- That performance was pretty impressive.那场表演很出色。
- Things are looking pretty good!形势看来很不错！
- The idea sounds pretty cool. 这个想法听起来很酷。
- We were pretty disappointed with the quality of the food. 我们对食物的质量非常失望。
- It came at the end of a pretty miserable week.这是在一个相当悲惨的周末到来的。
- Flying those planes was pretty hard work.驾驶那些飞机是相当艰苦的工作。
词源Old English prættig; related to Middle Dutch pertich ‘brisk, clever’, obsolete Dutch prettig ‘humorous, sporty’, from a West Germanic base meaning ‘trick’. The sense development ‘deceitful, cunning, clever, skilful, admirable, pleasing, nice’ has parallels in adjectives such as canny, fine, nice, etc.
Idioms - (informal) to be in a good situation, especially when others are not（尤指在他人处境不好时）处境好
- With profits at record levels, the company’s certainly sitting pretty this year.随着利润达到创纪录水平，该公司今年肯定会表现不错。
pretty much/well (British English also pretty nearly) (North American English also pretty near) - (informal) almost; almost completely几乎；差不多
- One dog looks pretty much like another to me.在我看来，狗长得都差不多。
- He goes out pretty well every night.他几乎每晚都外出。
- The first stage is pretty near finished.第一阶段已经接近完成。
pretty adjective /ˈprɪti/ /ˈprɪti/ (comparative prettier, superlative prettiest) Idioms (especially of a woman, or a girl尤指女子或女孩) attractive without being very beautiful漂亮的；标致的；妩媚的；动人的- a pretty face俏丽的脸
- a very pretty girl很漂亮的女孩
- You look so pretty in that dress!你穿那件连衣裙真漂亮！
- She's very attractive, though not conventionally pretty.她很有魅力，虽然不是传统意义上的漂亮。
Synonyms beautifulbeautiful- pretty
- handsome
- attractive
- lovely
- good-looking
- gorgeous
These words all describe people who are pleasant to look at.- beautiful (especially of a woman or girl) very pleasant to look at:
- She looked stunningly beautiful that night.她那天晚上美极了。
- pretty (especially of a girl or woman) pleasant to look at:
- She’s got a very pretty face.她有一张非常俏丽的脸。
Pretty is used most often to talk about girls. When it is used to talk about a woman, it usually suggests that she is like a girl, with small, delicate features. - handsome (of a man) pleasant to look at; (of a woman) pleasant to look at, with large strong features rather than small delicate ones:
- He was described as ‘tall, dark and handsome’.他被描述为 “高大黝黑、相貌堂堂”。
- attractive (of a person) pleasant to look at, especially in a sexual way:
- She’s a very attractive woman.她是个相当有魅力的女人。
- lovely (of a person) beautiful; very attractive:
- She looked particularly lovely that night.她那天晚上特别妩媚动人。
When you describe somebody as lovely, you are usually showing that you also like them very much. - good-looking (of a person) pleasant to look at, often in a sexual way:
- She arrived with a very good-looking man.她和一个非常英俊的男人一起到来。
- gorgeous (informal) (of a person) extremely attractive, especially in a sexual way:指（人）非常漂亮的、美丽动人的、性感的：
attractive or good-looking?用 attractive 还是 good-looking？If you describe somebody as attractive you often also mean that they have a pleasant personality as well as being pleasant to look at; good-looking just describes somebody’s physical appearance.Patterns- a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking/gorgeous girl/woman
- a(n) beautiful/handsome/attractive/good-looking/gorgeous boy/man
- a(n) beautiful/pretty/handsome/attractive/lovely/good-looking face
Topics Appearancea1 Collocations Dictionaryverbsadverb (of places or things地方或事物) attractive and pleasant to look at or to listen to without being large, beautiful or impressive赏心悦目的；动听的；美观的；精致的- pretty clothes漂亮的衣服
- a pretty garden赏心悦目的花园
- Lydia—what a pretty name!莉迪娅－多美的名字！
- That's a pretty flower—what's it called?那花很漂亮，叫什么名字？
- The canal looked prettiest at night. 运河在晚上看起来最漂亮。
- (figurative) He was hired to make the company pretty and then sell it off.他受雇把公司变得漂亮，然后卖掉。
Collocations Dictionaryverbsadverb 词源Old English prættig; related to Middle Dutch pertich ‘brisk, clever’, obsolete Dutch prettig ‘humorous, sporty’, from a West Germanic base meaning ‘trick’. The sense development ‘deceitful, cunning, clever, skilful, admirable, pleasing, nice’ has parallels in adjectives such as canny, fine, nice, etc.
Idioms - (old-fashioned) very pretty美丽如画；非常漂亮
- She’s as pretty as a picture.她非常漂亮。
More Like This Similes in idiomsSimiles in idioms- (as) bald as a coot
- (as) blind as a bat
- (as) bright as a button
- (as) bold as brass
- as busy as a bee
- as clean as a whistle
- (as) dead as a/the dodo
- (as) deaf as a post
- (as) dull as ditchwater
- (as) fit as a fiddle
- as flat as a pancake
- (as) good as gold
- (as) mad as a hatter/a March hare
- (as) miserable/ugly as sin
- as old as the hills
- (as) pleased/proud as Punch
- as pretty as a picture
- (as) regular as clockwork
- (as) quick as a flash
- (as) safe as houses
- (as) sound as a bell
- (as) steady as a rock
- (as) thick as two short planks
- (as) tough as old boots
come to a pretty pass (also come to such a pass) - (old-fashioned or humorous) to reach a sad or difficult state陷于不妙的（或困难的）境地；落到这步田地
- I never thought things would come to this pretty pass.我从没想过事情会发展到这种地步。
- Things have come to a pretty pass when we can’t afford to pay the heating bills!当我们付不起取暖费时，事情就变得很糟糕了。
- (humorous) used to emphasize that you have particular skills or qualities并非徒有其表；不止脸蛋漂亮
- ‘I didn't know you could play the piano.’ ‘I'm not just a pretty face, you know!’“我不知道你还会弹钢琴呢。” “我可不止是脸蛋儿漂亮，对吧！”
- (humorous) not pleasant to look at不顺眼；有碍观瞻
- You should have seen him in his swimming trunks—not a pretty sight!你应该见识见识他穿游泳裤的样子，真是一景呢！
- (old-fashioned) a lot of money很多钱；一大笔钱
- I bet that cost you a pretty penny.我打赌那花了你一大笔钱。
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