What does prettily mean?
Prettily is an adverb meaning in a way that is attractive, charming, elegant, or pleasing. It is often used to describe the appearance of a person, but it can also refer to the way something is dressed, decorated, arranged, or performed. For example, a person may be prettily dressed, a room may be prettily furnished, or a song may be sung prettily. The word suggests a soft, pleasing quality rather than dramatic beauty, elaborate luxury, or technical perfection. It is common in British and American English, though in some contexts it can sound slightly old-fashioned or literary. Prettily is formed from the adjective pretty, with the adverbial ending -ly, and belongs to a word family that includes prettiness and prettify.
adverbIn a way that is attractive, pleasing, or pleasingly neat. It can describe an attractive appearance or manner, or the way something is arranged or performed.
- In an attractive, charming, or pleasing manner.
- In a neat, elegant, or carefully arranged manner.
"She wore a pale green dress and smiled prettily at the guests."
"The garden was prettily arranged with white flowers and stone paths."
"He sang prettily, drawing a warm response from the audience."
Prettily is the word for describing an action or appearance that is charmingly attractive, graceful, or neatly pleasing.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of prettily
Prettily was formed in the 16th century by adding the adverbial suffix -ly to pretty. Pretty itself entered English in the 16th century, although its precise origin is uncertain; it may have developed from an earlier word associated with cleverness or trickery. The modern sense of attractiveness became established during the same period. Related words include prettiness and prettify, both of which preserve the root’s association with an attractive or pleasing quality.
Related word forms
How prettily is actually used
Prettily is common in everyday speech and descriptive writing. It can sound mildly old-fashioned or literary, especially when used to describe someone’s appearance or manner.