English

Adverb

pretty much ‎(not comparable)

1. Almost completely; very nearly; mostly.
   • 1861, Charles Dickens, Great Expectations, ch. 42,

     That's my life pretty much, down to such times as I got shipped off.

   • 1912, G. K. Chesterton, "The Separatist and Sacred Things," in A Miscellany of Men,

     Poets are pretty much the same everywhere in their poetry—and in their prose.

   • 2008, Ron Liddle, "Bring back British Rail, all is forgiven," Sunday Times (UK), 6 Jan. (retrieved 16 July 2008),

     Pretty much all of the train operating companies have announced huge fare increases.

Usage notes

• Similar in meaning to more or less; however, "pretty much" sometimes implies a higher or more satisfactory degree of completeness.

Translations