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Buck Turgidson · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 96

What is the difference? Is there a difference in meaning between the words pretty and beautiful? My thesaurus lists them as synonyms but one of my students insists there is difference. Confused

Tripmaster Monkey · Joined: 03 Mar 2003 Posts: 32

From Webster's Collegiate:
They can be synonyms, but pretty often refers to superficial or insubstantial attractiveness (conventionally pretty scenes)

Capergirl · Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2003 11:03 am Post subject:

I don't know if you will find any differences in any dictionary or thesaurus. Nonetheless, most women will tell you that "beautiful" is the bigger compliment. Wink

denise · Joined: 23 Apr 2003 Posts: 3419 Location: finally home-ish

I agree with Capergirl. I also feel that "beautiful" is somehow more cold, while "pretty" is more accessible and down-to-earth. Don't know why I've made that distinction, though.

d

Steiner · Joined: 21 Apr 2003 Posts: 573 Location: Hunan China

I think "beautiful" encompasses a broader range. For instance, a poem might be beautiful without really being pretty. Same with personalities. Lots of people have beautiful personalities. But a pretty personality? We talk about a beautiful love story, never of a pretty one. Pretty is pretty much confined to physical appearance.

Aesthetics is the study of beauty, not of prettiness, although prettiness is a type of beauty.

I wrote this post in about 45 seconds so I'm sure there's a lot to disagree with it about.

Roger · Joined: 19 Jan 2003 Posts: 9138

And then, pretty can function as a qualifier of sorts - "a pretty dumb question".
"Beautiful" clearly has the upper hand as the more coveted term, especially by ladies!

Winmar · Joined: 11 Feb 2003 Posts: 125 Location: Melbourne

To me, a woman can be pretty, but not beautiful.....in the same sense as she could be attractive, but not stunning.

leeroy · Joined: 30 Jan 2003 Posts: 777 Location: London UK

I always considered there to be a fairly clear difference!

Pretty implies a kind of "cuteness", in the way that a 10 year old girl could be "pretty" (but not beautiful).

Beautiful is much stronger, can only be applied to an adult and has a kind of "sexy" attached to it.

shmooj · Joined: 11 Sep 2003 Posts: 1758 Location: Seoul, ROK

johnslat · Posted: Thu Sep 18, 2003 10:33 pm Post subject: She's pretty beautiful

Dear leeroy,
" I always considered there to be a fairly clear difference!
Pretty implies a kind of "cuteness", in the way that a 10 year old girl could be "pretty" (but not beautiful).
Beautiful is much stronger, can only be applied to an adult and has a kind of "sexy" attached to it. "

Oh, baby

" You must have been a beautiful baby
You must have been a wonderful child
When you were only starting to go to kindergarten
I bet you drove the little boys wild.
And when it came to winning blue ribboms
You must have shown the other kids how.
I can see the judges' eyes as they handed you the prize
You must have made the cutest bow.
You must've been a beautiful baby
'Cause baby look at you now. "

To me, beautiful is " stronger ", often much stronger, than pretty in most contexts that describe the appearance of people, places and things. And, as has already been noted, " pretty " can be used as an adverb, with the meaning of " fairly " or " moderately ":
e.g. It was a pretty hard quiz.
But I don't think there's any " age " distinction involved.
Regards,
John

Buck Turgidson · Joined: 29 Jan 2003 Posts: 96

Wow, thanks for the contributions! So I guess the consensus is that it is a difference in degree rather than kind, with beautiful being more powerful.

Cleopatra · Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2003 8:16 am Post subject:

Interesting!

I've always beleived the two words are not only quantatively - but qualatively - very different. I don't believe they should be used interchangably, as they often are.

For me, 'pretty' is sort of attractive in an obvious, entirely inoffensive way. Britney is pretty, as was Bardot andmost throwaway dolly birds. 'Beautiful' on the other hand, is often much less obvious but more impressive by far: unlike the 'pretties' 'beautiful' people of either sex often don't strike you on your first meeting, but grow on you over time. Similarly, age doesn't usually have much effect on truly beautiful people: comparre Bardot and Liz Taylor - or the late Audrey Hepburn - for example of the difference between 'pretty' and 'beautiful'.

The Italians - as so often - have an interesting word for someone who is pretty, but not quite beautiful. The word is "bellina" for a woman, "bellino" for a man. Quite like it.

khmerhit · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2003 12:26 am Post subject:

CaperGirl, undoubtedly, is a beautiful gal. Her avatar, however, is very pretty. Che bellina! Cool

nomadder · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2003 12:35 am Post subject:

Does the avatar necessarily make the person? Anyone could choose any avatar. It could resemble them or be just a fantasy, projection etc. Do I look like mine? Not likely.

Anyway beautiful is more comprehensive and maybe has more power than pretty when describing a woman but maybe not. It depends. What about describing men? Foreigne students sometimes get confused if we say a guy is cute. They think like a baby. Wonder why we use that. Handsome seems so old or Clark Gable or something. Maybe we need a new word there. Good looking?-anyone could take that adjective.

Capergirl · Posted: Sat Sep 20, 2003 1:07 am Post subject: