different between pretty vs glorious

English

Alternative forms

• pooty, purdy (nonstandard)
• pratty (dialectal)
• prettie, pretie (obsolete)

Etymology

From Middle English prety, preti, praty, prati, from Old English prætti? (“tricky, crafty, sly, cunning, wily, astute”), from Proto-Germanic *prattugaz (“boastful, sly, slick, deceitful, tricky, cunning”), corresponding to prat (“trick”) +? -y. Cognate with Dutch prettig (“nice, pleasant”), Low German prettig (“funny”), Icelandic prettugur (“deceitful, tricky”). For the sense-development, compare canny, clever, cute.

Pronunciation

• (UK, US) IPA^(key): /?p??ti/
• (US, dialectal) IPA^(key): /?p?ti/
• (US, rare) IPA^(key): /?p??ti/
• Rhymes: -?ti

Adjective

pretty (comparative prettier, superlative prettiest)

1. Pleasant to the sight or other senses; attractive, especially of women or children, but less strikingly than something beautiful. [from 15th c.]
   • 2010, Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian, 4 Feb 2010:

     To escape a violent beating from sailors to whom he has sold a non-functioning car, Jerry takes his stepfamily for a holiday in a trailer park miles away, where, miraculously, young Nick meets a very pretty young woman called Sheeni, played by Portia Doubleday.

2. Of objects or things: nice-looking, appealing. [from 15th c.]
   • 2010, Lia Leendertz, The Guardian, 13 Feb 2010:

     'Petit Posy' brassicas […] are a cross between kale and brussels sprouts, and are really very pretty with a mild, sweet taste.

3. (often derogatory) Fine-looking; only superficially attractive; initially appealing but having little substance; see petty. [from 15th c.]
   • 1962, "New Life for the Liberals", Time, 28 Sep 1962:

     Damned by the Socialists as "traitors to the working class," its leaders were decried by Tories as "faceless peddlers of politics with a pretty little trinket for every taste."

4. Cunning; clever, skilful. [from 9th c.]
5. (dated) Moderately large; considerable. [from 15th c.]
   • 2004, "Because They're Worth it", Time, 26 Jan 04:

     "What did you do to your hair?" The answer could be worth a pretty penny for L'Oreal.

6. (dated) Excellent, commendable, pleasing; fitting or proper (of actions, thoughts etc.). [from 16th c.]
   • 1815, Jane Austen, Emma, Boston 1867, page 75:

     Some people are surprised, I believe, that that the eldest was not [named after his father], but Isabella would have him named Henry, which I thought very pretty of her.

   • 1919, Saki, ‘The Oversight’, The Toys of Peace:

     ‘This new fashion of introducing the candidate's children into an election contest is a pretty one,’ said Mrs. Panstreppon; ‘it takes away something from the acerbity of party warfare, and it makes an interesting experience for the children to look back on in after years.’

   • 1926, Ernest Hemingway, The sun also rises, page 251:

     "Oh, Jake." Brett said, "we could have had such a damned good time together." Ahead was a mounted policeman in khaki directing traffic. He raised his baton. The car slowed suddenly pressing Brett against me. "Yes", I said. "Isn't it pretty to think so?"

7. (ironic) Awkward, unpleasant. [from 16th c.]
   • 1931, "Done to a Turn", Time, 26 Jan 1931:

     His sadistic self-torturings finally landed him in a pretty mess: still completely married, practically sure he was in love with Tillie, he made dishonorable proposals of marriage to two other women.

   • 1877 "Black Beauty", Anna Sewell

     A pretty thing it would be if a man of business had to examine every cab-horse before he hired it

Antonyms

• ugly

Derived terms

Translations

Further reading

• Pretty in the Encyclopædia Britannica (11th edition, 1911)

Adverb

pretty (not comparable)

1. Somewhat, fairly, quite; sometimes also (by meiosis) very.
   • 1723, Charles Walker, Memoirs of Sally Salisbury, V:

     By the Sheets you have sent me to peruse, the Account you have given of her Birth and Parentage is pretty exact [...].

   • 1859, Charles Darwin, The Origin of Species, I:

     It seems pretty clear that organic beings must be exposed during several generations to the new conditions of life to cause any appreciable amount of variation [...].

   • 2002, Colin Jones, The Great Nation, Penguin 2003, page 539:

     The Revolutionary decade was a pretty challenging time for business.

2. (dialect) Prettily, in a pretty manner.

Usage notes

• When particularly stressed, the adverb pretty serves almost to diminish the adjective or adverb that it modifies, by emphasizing that there are greater levels of intensity.

Derived terms

• pretty much
• pretty well

Translations

Noun

pretty (plural pretties)

1. A pretty person; a term of address to a pretty person.
   • 1939, Noel Langley, Florence Ryerson, and Edgar Allan Woolf, The Wizard of Oz

     I'll get you, my pretty, and your little dog, too!

2. Something that is pretty.

   We'll stop at the knife store and look at the sharp pretties.

Verb

pretty (third-person singular simple present pretties, present participle prettying, simple past and past participle prettied)

1. To make pretty; to beautify

Derived terms

• pretty up

Anagrams

• Pettry

English

Etymology

From Middle English glorious, from Anglo-Norman glorius and Old French glorïos, from Latin gl?ri?sus. Displaced native Middle English wulderful, from Old English wuldorfull (“glorious”), among other terms. Equivalent to glory +? -ous.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /??l??.?i.?s/
• (US) IPA^(key): /??l??.i.?s/
• Rhymes: -???i?s

Adjective

glorious (comparative more glorious or gloriouser, superlative most glorious or gloriousest)

1. Exhibiting attributes, qualities, or acts that are worthy of or receive glory.

   glorious deeds

   • 1604, William Shakespeare, Othello, Act III, Scene III, line 351:

     Farewell the neighing steed, and the shrill trump, / The spirit-stirring drum, th’ ear-piercing fife, / The royal banner, and all quality, / Pride, pomp and circumstance of glorious war!

2. Excellent, wonderful; delightful.
   • Borini missed another glorious opportunity to give his side the lead after brilliant set-up play by Sterling, but with only the exposed keeper to beat, he struck the post.

3. Bright or shining;

   Synonyms: splendid, resplendent, bright, shining

   • 1590, William Shakespeare, Henry VI, Part II, Act III, Scene I, line 351

     And this fell tempest shall not cease to rage / Until the golden circuit on my head, / Like to the glorious sun’s transparent beams, / Do calm the fury of this mad-bred flaw.

4. (obsolete) Eager for glory or distinction

   Synonyms: haughty, boastful, ostentatious, vainglorious

   • 1609, William Shakespeare, Cymbeline, Act I, Scene VI, line 6:

     [...] but most miserable / Is the desire that’s glorious: blest be those, / How mean soe’er, that have their honest wills, / Which seasons comfort. [...]

5. (archaic, colloquial) Ecstatic; hilarious; elated with drink.

   • [...] kings may be blest, but Tam was glorious, O’er all the ills of life victorious.

Derived terms

• gloriousness

Related terms

• glorify
• glory

Translations

Middle English

Alternative forms

• glorius, gloryis, gloryous, gloriose

Etymology

Borrowed from Anglo-Norman glorius, glorios, glorieus, from Latin gl?ri?sus; equivalent to glory +? -ous.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /??l??riu?s/, /??l??rju?s/, /??l??rius/, /??l??ri?s/

Adjective

glorious (comparative gloriousere, superlative gloriosest)

1. Recognised, acclaimed, well-known; having an excellent reputation.
2. Deserving religious recognition or commendation; godly.
3. Marvelous or wonderful to the senses: attractive, pleasing.
4. Amazing, great; bearing good quality or reputation.
5. (rare) Vain, bragging, self-aggrandising.

Related terms

• gloriously

Descendants

• English: glorious

References

• “gl?ri?us, adj.”, in MED Online, Ann Arbor, Mich.: University of Michigan, 2007, retrieved 2018-10-04.

Old French

Alternative forms

• glorieus, glorios, glorius

Etymology

Latin gl?ri?sus.

Adjective

glorious m (oblique and nominative feminine singular gloriouse) (Anglo-Norman)

1. glorious

Declension