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sitting pretty

 - 7 dictionary results
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pret⋅ty

  [prit-ee] adjective, -ti⋅er, -ti⋅est, noun, plural -ties, adverb, verb, -tied, -ty⋅ing.
Use sitting pretty in a Sentence
–adjective
1. pleasing or attractive to the eye, as by delicacy or gracefulness: a pretty face.
2. (of things, places, etc.) pleasing to the eye, esp. without grandeur.
3. pleasing to the ear: a pretty tune.
4. pleasing to the mind or aesthetic taste: He writes pretty little stories.
5. (often used ironically) fine; grand: This is a pretty mess!
6. Informal. considerable; fairly great: This accident will cost him a pretty sum.
7. Archaic or Scot.. brave; hardy.
–noun
8. Usually, pretties. pretty ornaments, clothes, etc.
9. a pretty person: Sit down, my pretty.
–adverb
10. fairly or moderately: Her work was pretty good.
11. quite; very: The wind blew pretty hard.
12. Informal. prettily.
–verb (used with object)
13. to make pretty; improve the appearance of (sometimes fol. by up): to pretty oneself for a party; to pretty up a room.
—Idiom
14. sitting pretty, Informal.
a. in an advantageous position.
b. well-to-do; successful.
Origin:
bef. 1000; ME prati(e), pratte, prettie cunning, gallant, fine, handsome, pretty; OE prættig, prettī cunning, deriv. of prǣtt a trick, wile (c. D part, pret trick, prank, ON prettr trick, prettugr tricky)

Related forms:
pret⋅ti⋅ly, adverb
pret⋅ti⋅ness, noun
pret⋅ty⋅ish, adjective

Synonyms:
1. See beautiful. 2–4. pleasant. 10. somewhat.

Antonyms:
1. ugly.

Usage note:
The qualifying adverb pretty, meaning “fairly or moderately” has been in general use since the late 16th century. Although most common in informal speech and writing, it is far from restricted to them, and often is less stilted than alternatives such as relatively, moderately, and quite.
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sit⋅ting

  [sit-ing]
–noun
1. the act of a person or thing that sits.
2. a period of remaining seated, as in posing for a portrait or reading a book.
3. the space on or in which one sits, as in a church.
4. a brooding, as of a hen upon eggs; incubation.
5. the number of eggs on which a bird sits during a single hatching; clutch.
6. a session, as of a court or legislature.
7. the time or space allotted to the serving of a meal to a group, as aboard a ship.
–adjective
8. (of a bird) occupying a nest of eggs for hatching.
9. of, for, or suited to sitting: a sitting area in the lobby.
10. holding an official position or office; occupying an appointed or elected seat; incumbent: a sitting pontiff.
11. in session or at work; active: a sitting legislature.
—Idiom
12. sitting pretty, in an auspicious position: He's been sitting pretty since he got that new job.
Origin:
1175–1225; ME; see sit 1 , -ing 1 , -ing 2
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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Cultural Dictionary

sitting pretty

In a favorable position: “Abby finally got that promotion, and now she's sitting pretty.”

The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Slang Dictionary
pretty

  1. mod.
    very. : I'm pretty busy at the moment.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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sitting pretty

  1. mod.
    doing very nicely; in a very pleasant and secure position. : She married a millionaire, and now she's sitting pretty.
Dictionary of American Slang and Colloquial Expressions by Richard A. Spears.Fourth Edition.
Copyright 2007. Published by McGraw Hill.
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Word Origin & History

pretty 
O.E. prættig (W.Saxon), *prettig (Mercian) "cunning, skillful, artful," from prætt, *prett "a trick, wile, craft," from W.Gmc. *pratt- (cf. O.N. prettr "a trick," prettugr "tricky;" Fris. pret, M.Du. perte, Du. pret "trick, joke," Du. prettig "sportive, funny," Flem. pertig "brisk, clever"). Connection between O.E. and M.E. words is uncertain, but if they are the same, meaning had shifted by c.1400 to "manly, gallant," and later moved via "attractive, skillfully made," to "fine," to "beautiful in a slight way" (1440). For sense evolution, compare nice, silly. Used to qualify adjectives and adverbs ("moderately") since 1565. As a verb (usually with up) it is attested from 1916. Prettily is from c.1400; prettify first recorded 1850. Pretty-boy is attested from 1885. A pretty penny "lot of money" is first recorded 1768.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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Idioms & Phrases

sitting pretty

In an advantageous position; also, financially well off. For example, The terms of the will left Mary sitting pretty. Although the use of pretty in the sense of "advantageous" is much older, this colloquialism dates only from the early 1900s. It was given extra currency as the title of two different musicals, Sittin' Pretty (M. Moore, 1921) and Sitting Pretty (G. Bolton and P.G. Wodehouse, 1924).

The American Heritage® Dictionary of Idioms by Christine Ammer.
Copyright © 1997. Published by Houghton Mifflin.
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