1
as in dude
a man extremely interested in his clothing and personal appearance
a downtown dance club with lots of pretty boys in attendance
Synonyms & Similar Words
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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in stud
a physically attractive man
as a musical performer, he has yet to prove that he's more than just another pretty boy
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of pretty boy
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
This was the last time Leo would try to headline a big-budget movie still looking like the pretty boy of Titanic; after this, his next four films were for either Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Also, why is arthouse pretty boy Louis Garrel, who portrays the leader of a resistance group known as Breakwalls (That’s seriously their name.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
At Hartford Stage, Rafael Jordan plays Sterling as a smooth-talking pretty boy who seems unwilling to get his hands dirty.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 Feb. 2025
Scott’s Tom Ripley was a clean break from that of Matt Damon; instead of a petulant pretty boy seized by envy and lust, this Ripley was older (Scott is in his late forties) and scarier, a lonesome manipulator with a murderous gleam in his eye.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
How to adopt: Interested adopters can meet pretty boy Pepper at the Arizona Humane Society’s South Mountain location.
—The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 21 Jan. 2023
John Boyega plays Dahomey’s young king, Ghezo, a benevolent if somewhat pretty boy leader who takes on soft diplomacy while deploying his Agojie to collect the heads of his enemies.
—Tribune News Service, cleveland, 16 Sep. 2022
To compare his 1955 Newman, a pretty boy whose smile is a quick squiggle, with the Newman of 2002, his features still handsome but etched by the passage of a half-century, is an epitome in two drawings of Hirschfeld’s art.
—Terry Teachout, WSJ, 6 Apr. 2021
Aliya S. King, VIBE.com, 6 Dec. 2025
This was the last time Leo would try to headline a big-budget movie still looking like the pretty boy of Titanic; after this, his next four films were for either Martin Scorsese or Steven Spielberg.
—Tim Grierson, Vulture, 26 Sep. 2025
Also, why is arthouse pretty boy Louis Garrel, who portrays the leader of a resistance group known as Breakwalls (That’s seriously their name.
—Jordan Mintzer, HollywoodReporter, 7 Sep. 2025
At Hartford Stage, Rafael Jordan plays Sterling as a smooth-talking pretty boy who seems unwilling to get his hands dirty.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 4 Feb. 2025
Scott’s Tom Ripley was a clean break from that of Matt Damon; instead of a petulant pretty boy seized by envy and lust, this Ripley was older (Scott is in his late forties) and scarier, a lonesome manipulator with a murderous gleam in his eye.
—Michael Schulman, The New Yorker, 9 Dec. 2024
How to adopt: Interested adopters can meet pretty boy Pepper at the Arizona Humane Society’s South Mountain location.
—The Republic, The Arizona Republic, 21 Jan. 2023
John Boyega plays Dahomey’s young king, Ghezo, a benevolent if somewhat pretty boy leader who takes on soft diplomacy while deploying his Agojie to collect the heads of his enemies.
—Tribune News Service, cleveland, 16 Sep. 2022
To compare his 1955 Newman, a pretty boy whose smile is a quick squiggle, with the Newman of 2002, his features still handsome but etched by the passage of a half-century, is an epitome in two drawings of Hirschfeld’s art.
—Terry Teachout, WSJ, 6 Apr. 2021
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pretty boy
Noun
-
Throughout, Antonoff defines himself as not being the type of guy to rehash pickup lines, ask about his lover’s previous dudes, or tell her what to do.—
Kory Grow,
Rolling Stone,
30 Apr. 2026
-
The dude performs like rent is due.—
Théoden Janes,
Charlotte Observer,
30 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Northwestern coach David Braun was prepared to take it easy on his stud left tackle in the run-up to the latter’s participation in the NFL draft process, but Caleb Tiernan wasn’t having it.—
Matthew Mowery,
Chicago Tribune,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Hayward was brought in from Western Kentucky and played stud while Chapman rehabbed from an injury.—
Steven Johnson,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
24 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
When Passover arrives, her family wants to meet her beau.—
Pam Kragen,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
26 Apr. 2026
-
For his 28th birthday, Biles wrote her beau a sweet message on Instagram.—
Diane J. Cho,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Past friends and former associates described him to me as an exceptionally cunning con man, a consummate charmer, and a womanizer.—
Nate Freeman,
Vanity Fair,
3 Apr. 2026
-
After years of being known as a womanizer, Barney settled down and married Robin in the show's final season.—
Jane LaCroix,
PEOPLE,
31 Mar. 2026
Noun
-
The original dandy—most famously embodied by figures like Beau Brummell in 18th-century Britain—was a man whose primary purpose was to stand out by being impeccably groomed and dressed.—
Ty Gaskins,
Vogue,
29 Apr. 2025
-
Buy the Book From Beau Brummell to Emily Adams Bode, The Men’s Fashion Book documents over 200 years of fashion history by spotlighting the people and brands that have shaped the world of menswear.—
WSJ,
WSJ,
1 Oct. 2021
Noun
-
Memoiristic explorations of lemmings, foxes, childhood violence, and pregnancy give way to a sequence of love stories dedicated to the northern lights, diving into mythology and spirituality.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
24 Apr. 2026
-
And a thick hedgerow is no deterrent to foxes sneaking in to snatch small lambs.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
23 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
Another, from 2009, is dominated by the profile of what appears to be a guard dog gripping a black hunk of something unidentifiable.—
Ben Davis,
The New York Review of Books,
25 Apr. 2026
-
Your home health guy is a hunk.—
Andrea Lavinthal,
PEOPLE,
22 Apr. 2026
Noun
-
What was on offer? Getting an eyeful of the range of things that Polymarket users will bet on via USDC stablecoins was enlightening.—
Rob Pegoraro,
ArsTechnica,
29 Mar. 2026
-
This weekend, fans will also get an eyeful during the NBA All-Star Weekend.—
Contessa Brewer,
CNBC,
11 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Pretty boy.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pretty%20boy. Accessed 2 May. 2026.
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