Difference between Pretty and Beautiful

Key difference: They both are used for the pleasing effect of the face. Pretty refers more to the outer look as compared to beautiful, which refers to the deep beauty of any person.

Pretty The adjective ‘pretty’ refers to the appearance of an individual in an outer view. It is used as a compliment to praise an individual’s face. Pretty is seldom used with people or objects that are big, it is usually restricted to objects that are small. It suggests that the person or object is pleasant to look at, but not necessarily impressive. It is a soft, feminine, mixture of beautiful and cute and also very charming. It is something that can be measured or it can be considered as a limitation of beauty.

According to Collins English Dictionary, the word ‘pretty’ means: “pleasing or appealing in a delicate or graceful way”.

Beautiful relates to the appreciation of beauty in the whole sense. That is when a person says that a thing is beautiful, he relates to the emotions and feelings. It narrates the concept of something being near perfection. It is usually used to express beauty, which is subjective in nature. The word can also be used with things that cannot be seen. For example, you can talk about a "beautiful plan" or a "beautiful smell". Beautiful is more of a romantic term to describe someone's appearance.

According to Collins English Dictionary, the word ‘beautiful’ means: “possessing beauty; aesthetically pleasing”.

Comparison between Pretty and Beautiful:

	Pretty	Beautiful
Definition	“attractive in a delicate way without being truly beautiful”.	“pleasing the senses or mind aesthetically".
Reflects	It relates only to the outer beauty of a being.	It means the inside and outside beauty of a being.
Compared	It is not that stronger term in comparison to beautiful.	It is a stronger word than the word pretty.
Synonyms	attractive, lovely, good-looking, nice-looking, fetching, prepossessing, appealing, charming, delightful, nice, engaging, pleasing; darling, sweet, dear, adorable, lovable; winning, winsome, cute, as pretty as a picture, dainty, graceful; handsome, well favored, personable, and etc.	attractive, pretty, handsome, good-looking, nice-looking, pleasing, alluring, prepossessing, as pretty as a picture; lovely, charming, delightful, appealing, engaging, winsome; ravishing, gorgeous, heavenly, stunning, arresting, glamorous, and etc.
Example	A pretty Barbie doll.	A beautiful sunrise.