It is common in informal speech and writing but is neither rare nor wrong in serious discourse. Some common synonyms of pretty are beautiful, comely, fair, handsome, and lovely Something or someone that is pretty is pleasing to the eye
Pretty Polly | TVARK
But calling someone pretty isn’t quite the same as calling them beautiful, handsome, or lovely.
We can use pretty as an adverb, before an adjective or another adverb, meaning ‘quite, but not extremely’
… that's a pretty hat you're wearing The sofa was covered in very pretty flowery material She's got such a pretty daughter She looked pretty in a simple cotton dress.
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. In a delicate or graceful way Pleasing or charming but not grand or overwhelming A pretty little cabin in the woods.
It’s pretty common to use “pretty” to mean “somewhat” in ordinary speech, but it should be avoided in formal writing, where sometimes “very” is more appropriate.
If you describe someone as pretty, you mean that they are attractive She's a very charming and very pretty girl. Learn how to use pretty in a sentence with 500 example sentences on yourdictionary.
