Etymology Map
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Pretty

3 stages from Old English to English.

Today it means attractive in a delicate way; to a fair degree

Where does the word "pretty" come from? It comes from Old English prættig, passing through Middle English before entering English (1500s).

1
Stage 1 of 3
prættig
Old English · medieval
"crafty"
'cunning, crafty', from prætt 'trick, wile'
2
Stage 2 of 3
prety
Middle English · 1400s
"clever; pleasing"
softened to 'clever, skilful', then 'fine, pleasing', as of a pretty tale or trick
3
Stage 3 of 3
pretty
English · 1500s
"attractive; fairly"
settled on 'attractive in a delicate way'; the adverb, as in 'pretty good', is recorded from the 1560s
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Read the full story

Pretty’s story begins in Old English: prættig meant “crafty.” 'cunning, crafty', from prætt 'trick, wile'. By 1400s, the word had taken hold in Middle English as prety. Softened to 'clever, skilful', then 'fine, pleasing', as of a pretty tale or trick. It reached English by 1500s as pretty. Settled on 'attractive in a delicate way'; the adverb, as in 'pretty good', is recorded from the 1560s. Today, pretty means attractive in a delicate way; to a fair degree.