Very vs. Pretty: Know the Difference
By Shumaila Saeed || Updated on December 25, 2023
"Very" intensifies the degree of something, while "pretty" moderately enhances it, often with a positive connotation.
Key Differences
"Very" is used as an intensifier to amplify the meaning of an adjective or adverb, indicating a high degree. "Pretty," on the other hand, also serves as a modifier but suggests a moderate or somewhat lesser degree than "very." For example, "very hot" implies a higher temperature than "pretty hot."
Shumaila Saeed
Nov 30, 2023
In usage, "very" often precedes adjectives and adverbs to emphasize their strength or intensity. "Pretty," while also modifying adjectives and adverbs, tends to convey a sense of pleasantness or agreeableness, adding a softer tone to the description.
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Nov 30, 2023
The word "very" can be used in a broader range of contexts, from casual to formal. "Pretty," however, is generally more colloquial and can carry a subjective tone, implying personal perception or opinion.
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Nov 30, 2023
"Very" is straightforward in its application, leaving little room for ambiguity about the extent of the modifier. "Pretty," in contrast, can introduce a level of vagueness or understatement, as it is often used to express a degree that is noticeable but not extreme.
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Nov 30, 2023
Both "very" and "pretty" are versatile in English language usage, but "very" is more likely to be used in situations requiring clarity and emphasis, whereas "pretty" is often chosen for its nuanced, gentler enhancement of a description.
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Nov 30, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Degree of Intensity
High intensity or emphasis.
Moderate intensity or emphasis.
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Formality
Suitable for both formal and informal contexts.
More common in informal contexts.
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Ambiguity
Generally clear and unambiguous.
Can introduce a level of vagueness.
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Usage Frequency
Widely used across various contexts.
Less frequently used than "very."
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Tone
Neutral, focusing on emphasis.
Often conveys a pleasant or agreeable tone.
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Very and Pretty Definitions
Pretty
Used to express mild agreement or acknowledgment.
That's pretty much what I thought.
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Very
Indicates a high degree of emphasis.
He was very excited about the trip.
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Very
Reinforces the intensity of an adjective or adverb.
It's very cold outside today.
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Pretty
Indicates something pleasing or attractive in a delicate way.
She has a pretty smile.
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Very
Serves to amplify the significance of a statement.
They were very pleased with the results.
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Pretty
Suggests a lesser degree than 'very' but noticeable.
He is pretty tall for his age.
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Very
Used to stress the exactness of a description.
This is the very book I wanted.
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Pretty
Very bad; terrible
In a pretty predicament.
A situation that has reached a pretty pass.
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Oct 19, 2023
Pretty
Ostensibly or superficially attractive but lacking substance or conviction
Full of pretty phrases.
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Very
Being the same; identical
That is the very question she asked yesterday.
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Very
Being particularly suitable or appropriate
The very item needed to increase sales.
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Oct 19, 2023
Very
Used to emphasize the importance of what is specified
The very mountains shook.
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Very
Being nothing more than what is specified; mere
The very act of riding in the car made him dizzy.
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Very
(Archaic) Genuine; true
"Like very sanctity, she did approach" (Shakespeare).
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Very
(literary) True, real, actual.
The fierce hatred of a very woman.
The very blood and bone of our grammar.
He tried his very best.
We're approaching the very end of the trip.
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Oct 19, 2023
Pretty
Pleasant to the sight or other senses; attractive, especially of women or children.
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Very
The same; identical.
He proposed marriage in the same restaurant, at the very table where they first met.
That's the very tool that I need.
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Pretty
Fine-looking; only superficially attractive; initially appealing but having little substance; see petty.
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Very
To a great extent or degree.
That dress is very you.
Not very many (of them) had been damaged.
She's very like her mother.
‘Is she busy?’ ― ‘Not very.’
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Oct 19, 2023
Very
(with superlatives) Used to firmly establish that nothing else surpasses in some respect.
He was the very best runner there.
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Pretty
(dated) Excellent, commendable, pleasing; fitting or proper (of actions, thoughts etc.).
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Very
True; real; actual; veritable.
Whether thou be my very son Esau or not.
He that covereth a transgression seeketh love; but he that repeateth a matter separateth very friends.
The very essence of truth is plainness and brightness.
I looked on the consideration of public service or public ornament to be real and very justice.
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Very
In a high degree; to no small extent; exceedingly; excessively; extremely; as, a very great mountain; a very bright sun; a very cold day; the river flows very rapidly; he was very much hurt.
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Oct 19, 2023
Very
Being the exact same one; not any other:;
This is the identical room we stayed in before
The themes of his stories are one and the same
Saw the selfsame quotation in two newspapers
On this very spot
The very thing he said yesterday
The very man I want to see
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Very
Used to give emphasis to the relevance of the thing modified;
His very name struck terror
Caught in the very act
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Pretty
Something that is pretty.
We'll stop at the knife store and look at the sharp pretties.
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Oct 19, 2023
Very
Used to give emphasis;
The very essence of artistic expression is invention
The very back of the room
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Very
Used as intensifiers; `real' is sometimes used informally for `really'; `rattling' is informal;
She was very gifted
He played very well
A really enjoyable evening
I'm real sorry about it
A rattling good yarn
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Oct 19, 2023
Pretty
Pleasing by delicacy or grace; attracting, but not striking or impressing; of a pleasing and attractive form a color; having slight or diminutive beauty; neat or elegant without elevation or grandeur; pleasingly, but not grandly, conceived or expressed; as, a pretty face; a pretty flower; a pretty poem.
This is the prettiest lowborn lass that everRan on the greensward.
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Pretty
Affectedly nice; foppish; - used in an ill sense.
The pretty gentleman is the most complaisant in the world.
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Pretty
Mean; despicable; contemptible; - used ironically; as, a pretty trick; a pretty fellow.
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Pretty
Stout; strong and brave; intrepid; valiant.
[He] observed they were pretty men, meaning not handsome.
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Pretty
In some degree; moderately; considerably; rather; almost; - less emphatic than very; as, I am pretty sure of the fact; pretty cold weather.
Pretty plainly professes himself a sincere Christian.
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Pretty
Pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing;
Pretty girl
Pretty song
Pretty room
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Pretty
(used ironically) unexpectedly bad;
A pretty mess
A pretty kettle of fish
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Pretty
Used as an intensifier (`jolly' is used informally in Britain);
Pretty big
Pretty bad
Jolly decent of him
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Pretty
Conveys a sense of being quite or somewhat.
The test was pretty difficult.
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Repeatedly Asked Queries
Is "very" suitable for academic writing?
Yes, "very" can be used in formal and academic contexts.
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Nov 30, 2023
Can "very" and "pretty" be used interchangeably?
Not always, as "very" implies a higher degree than "pretty."
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Nov 30, 2023
Does "pretty" always indicate something positive?
Often, but not always; context matters.
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Nov 30, 2023
Can "very" be used in negative contexts?
Yes, it can intensify both positive and negative descriptions.
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Nov 30, 2023
Is "very" a strong intensifier?
Yes, it significantly intensifies the meaning.
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Nov 30, 2023
Can "pretty" mean 'quite' or 'rather'?
Yes, it can convey a moderate degree.
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Nov 30, 2023
Is "pretty" appropriate for formal writing?
It's less common in formal writing due to its colloquial tone.
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Nov 30, 2023
How does "very" affect an adjective?
It greatly amplifies the adjective's intensity.
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Nov 30, 2023
Can "very" be used with verbs?
No, "very" is typically used with adjectives and adverbs.
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Nov 30, 2023
Does "pretty" imply a lesser degree than "very"?
Yes, it indicates a moderate or lesser degree.
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Nov 30, 2023
Does "pretty" add a subjective tone?
It can, indicating a personal perception.
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Nov 30, 2023
Can "pretty" be used to downplay a description?
Yes, it can understate or soften a description.
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Nov 30, 2023
Can "very" precede nouns directly?
No, it modifies adjectives or adverbs, not nouns.
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Nov 30, 2023
Does "very" have synonyms that convey the same intensity?
Words like "extremely" or "highly" can be similar.
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Nov 30, 2023
Can "pretty" be used in negative statements?
Yes, though it's less common than in positive statements.
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Nov 30, 2023
Does "pretty" have multiple meanings?
Yes, it can also mean 'attractive' or 'to a certain extent.'
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Nov 30, 2023
Is "pretty" used in American and British English alike?
Yes, but usage may vary slightly between dialects.
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Nov 30, 2023
Is "very" ever redundant in a sentence?
It can be, especially if the adjective alone is sufficient.
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Is "very" ever used ironically?
Rarely, as it typically indicates sincerity in emphasis.
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Nov 30, 2023
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About Author
Written by
Shumaila SaeedShumaila Saeed, an expert content creator with 6 years of experience, specializes in distilling complex topics into easily digestible comparisons, shining a light on the nuances that both inform and educate readers with clarity and accuracy.
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