The Word 'Pretty': The Five Different Definitions

One of methods that very interesting is that words just transformed their meanings completely for no reason. He gives an example whereby the meaning for the word had entirely changed in their meaning: counterfeit and brave. Counterfeit now means a fake copy of a genuine good, such as fake money, but in the past it meant a legitimate copy.

I consulted my trusty 1828 edition of Webster’s dictionary for a definition. I use this one because it was written by Noah Webster himself, and isn’t saddled with the baggage of pagan political correctness.

Throughout the years of the variations of the Webster dictionary they have produced change. In all three versions the definition is just about the same, but as the years passed extra content was added or taken away.

It is such a strange word that doesn’t really share origins or the general feel of its counterpart deosil. The two are very easy to get switched around in your head; I have to imagine the hands on a clock going from twelve to seven without passing six to make sure I have it correct. I once won a round of a game called Balderdash because of the word widdershins. The game has odd and archaic terms that the players have to write down plausible definitions of the word. One player then reads out the written and real definitions and the others guess the correct one. I knew the term so I automatically got points.

I’ve observed it in my sisters and friends too many times to count—double and triple checks in the mirror, glances at every reflective surface, and guarded smiles for photographs. We live in a society that preaches the importance of self-worth, while simultaneously giving us endless, unattainable examples of perfection in the form of TV shows, celebrity Instagram accounts, and photoshopped advertisements. Beauty standards are set far too high by the media, and this results in plummeting levels of self-confidence in girls of all ages. Due to this skewed view on the importance of looks, it has become impossible for girls to differentiate between their God-given beauty and the reflection that they strive to see in the mirror.

A common aphorism is ,“Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” Beauty is a combination of qualities - such as shape, color, or form - that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially the sight. Individuals believe that through personal relationship experience, they create an idea of what aesthetic characteristics they are searching for; women are usually seen as the objective of this appeal. Through generations, one can see the power beauty has over civilizations or societies; such as the fact that ancient Greeks worshipped the goddess Aphrodite - a woman - because she represented true beauty, even though, Greek women were thought of as inferior to males. Beauty is so powerful that external influences take advantage of the significant beauty has on people, to exploit it for their own self benefit. Vivian Diller, a psychologist in New York City, renders to the fact that, “even the words we use to describe it [beauty] reflect its power — like stunning, knockout and bombshell — all of which connote the violent impact it has on others”. People believe they choose whom they find attractive yet there are external influences that play a force in the human mind such as the media, public figures, cosmetic industries, and culture influence people’s inner perception of whom one finds beautiful.

When it comes to the meaning of words we can view them in two levels, denotation and connotation. Denotation is basically the word’s literal meaning. It is exactly what one can expect and understand from the description out of a dictionary and is considered concrete and tangible as it is the closest of an objective description of reality. Connotation on the other hand is much more complex and abstract as it can involved multiple factors such as personal or cultural experiences and values in addition to basic meaning. Hence connotative meaning can varies based on the factors surrounding it.

Beauty standards are portrayed everywhere: on magazines, social media, ads, commercials, and even flaunted among peers. While the ideals are supposed to promote health awareness, fitness motivation, and self love, it unfortunately results in many unfavorable consequences. Women are constantly “penalized for not being beautiful and at the same time are stigmatized, even pathologized, for not feeling beautiful, for having low self-esteem, for engaging in behaviors like dieting and excessive exercising, or for having eating disorders” (Johnston and Taylor 954). Beauty standards are unrealistic and unhealthy to pursue, and misinforms the public on what true beauty is. While not all beauty image ideals promote negative feelings and dissatisfaction, many believe that the negative effects far outweighs any positive effects.

For centuries mankind has unsuccessfully attempted to define beauty. Greek philosophers, including Plato, tried to define beauty as if it were as simple as any other law in nature. However this cannot be so because the idea of what is beautiful has varied throughout cultures and the ages. In the 1800s women who were pale and rather plump were considered objects of desire; but in today’s society, desirable women are slender and tan, among other things. The fact is that today, beauty is as unobtainable as it is indefinable. All of today’s supermodels, as seen in millions of advertisements, have been modified, airbrushed, and photoshopped. Women desiring this beauty have turned to various

Richard Gere (Edward) and Julia Roberts (Vivian) starred in the Pretty Woman (1990). Gere played a role as a wealthy businessman and Roberts played a role of a quirky and charming prostitute. Vivian escorted Edward to a hotel and offered her to stay with him to remain his companion sexually and otherwise for a week. He offered her 3000 dollars and lavish lifestyle in return. Vivian agreed to it and her wardrobe was changed. She was transformed into a lady with class and substance. However, she breaks the rule of their arrangement and she developed an emotional feeling towards him. Edward indicates her that her dream of being with him cannot come true however, he offered her a house and money so that she could start a new life. Vivian was insulted by this offer and refused. In the end of the movie, Edward goes to Vivian and kisses her. The movie ends with a happy ending.

Many of the words in the English dictionary have different meanings, for example the word beauty. If we were to question fifty people on the definition, all fifty responses would be slightly different. People usually think of beauty as physical appearance, but if we really think about beauty in depth, we realize that the word has a more extensive meaning than just physical appearance. Beauty is based on a personal opinion. There isn’t a person or object that defines beauty, because it’s strictly based on opinion. Something that someone would describe as beautiful, another person might not agree. Beauty is one’s personal admiration on an object or person. People use the word beauty to describe multiple things or objects. So does beauty actually have a specific meaning? The word

A few words in the English language are often misused. They may sound similar, or may have related meanings, but misusing them may change the meaning of the sentences.

I would describe the pretty girl as the main character’s evolution of perfection. The emotions the main character has for her changes his perception on what he thought was beauty. What was first was simply physical attraction turned to an overwhelming desire to possess the pretty girl. Very cell in the main characters body would reminisce on the times he would see the pretty girl. To the main character the pretty girl became something much more meaningful, she became an entity that represented all his desire in a human form. His relationship with the pretty girl represents an unbreakable shield that keeps trying to be pierced by the sword of time and distance. I think she is the one and only person that can make the main character truly feel

Beauty is something that can be interpreted completely different from person to person. A famous quote that goes along with this perfectly is “beauty is in the eye of the beholder.” I think a person’s inner beauty should be taken into account when deciding whether or not a person is beautiful. Wikipedia’s definition of beauty is, “a characteristic of a person, animal, place, object, or idea that provides a perceptual experience of pleasure or satisfaction” while Oxford Dictionary states, “beauty is a combination of qualities, such as shape, color, or form, that pleases the aesthetic senses, especially sight.” As you can see, inner beauty could be paired with Wiki’s definition and outer beauty could be paired with Oxfords. Of course, there

Bhartrihari and wettgenstain say that there is a public component in the meaning of a word; they speak differently about the presence and the