pretty boy

noun

Synonyms of pretty boynext
informal + usually disparaging
: a man who is notably good-looking
also : dandy sense 1

Examples of pretty boy in a Sentence

Movie critics seem to finally agree that this pretty boy can act. a downtown dance club with lots of pretty boys in attendance
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Maeve’s a fish out of water and sneers at all the townsfolk, except for one pretty boy (Costa D’Angelo). Randy Myers, Mercury News, 26 Aug. 2026 In summer as well as in winter, beneath a beach umbrella just as much as under the cold carapace of a Toronto sky in December, rap’s pretty boy little brother is sort of always talking about the many grievances he’s picked up along the way. Vinson Cunningham, New Yorker, 23 Aug. 2026 Unfortunately, Winger committed the mortal sins of having a pretty boy lead singer and painfully cheesy videos (even by 80s standards), so most people dismissed them and Beach as cheap imitators. Matt Reigle Outkick, FOXNews.com, 8 Aug. 2026 Melvin Combs, the dark-skinned, pretty boy with the toothy, megawatt smile, was a co-conspirator in a case that would send some members of his crew to prison for up to 12 years. Aliya S. King, VIBE.com, 6 Dec. 2025 See All Example Sentences for pretty boy

Word History

First Known Use

1835, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pretty boy was in 1835

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Cite this Entry

“Pretty boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pretty%20boy. Accessed 2 Sep. 2026.

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