"It's not bad, but it's still pretty bad" is a phrase I can see myself saying. Not sure about the other way round - doesn't really work for me, but to each their own...
Neither, really. I use it to mean "more than expected". Like, if my kids insist I watch a cartoon with them, and I enjoy it, i'd say it's "pretty good". Or if a coworker said something awful about a customer, I might say the comment was "pretty mean".
I can't imagine how "pretty good" could mean "better than good." Most of the examples posted here are talking about how something relates to your expectations, but that's not the question. Yes, "pretty good" is often used to describe something that is better than expected, but that doesn't make it better than "good."
For example, it doesn't make sense to say "$50 is good, but $100 is pretty good!"
I do think "pretty good" is often used as an understated way to say that something is very good, e.g. "Yeah, Messi is pretty good at soccer." However, that's a play on the actual meaning of the phrase, and should not be construed as the actual meaning.
Worse. Sometimes just a little worse than good, sometimes it's medium or negative but you're just trying to be nice. "How did you like the liver and onions I cooked for you?". "It was pretty good."
Generally, for me, it means something less than entirely "good."
The times I'm most likely to use it are when I'm finding minor fault with something - "Well... it was pretty good, but..." or when something is better than I expected, but not quite fully good - "Hey! That was actually pretty good!"
42 Comments
PonyOfWar@pawb.social · 49 pts · 2y
Depends on how you say it and in which context.
Lemmylefty@lemmy.world · 21 pts · 2y
A shrug and a “pretty good” = acceptable, not worth complaining about.
A slow grin first or it being said loudly = better than good, great.
Although this depends on how emotive the speaker is.
kafa@lemmy.ml · 1 pts · 2y
if someone shrugs with pretty good
or shrugs with good
to me the former is still better than the latter.
I don't see a way for pretty good to mean less than good
neptune@dmv.social · 6 pts · 2y
Wow! Pretty good!
Vs
That was pretty good, but....
pturn1@lemmy.world · 28 pts · 2y
My Bad-to-Good spectrum would be:
Bad
Pretty bad
Fairly bad
Fairly good
Pretty good
Good
waratchess@lemm.ee · 15 pts · 2y
I would rate pretty bad as worse than bad.
pturn1@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y
"It's not bad, but it's still pretty bad" is a phrase I can see myself saying. Not sure about the other way round - doesn't really work for me, but to each their own...
can@sh.itjust.works · 3 pts · 2y
I see it as similar to "very bad", which would be worse than just "bad".
usualsuspect191@lemmy.ca · 2 pts · 2y
I think both are correct depending on the inflection
can@sh.itjust.works · 1 pts · 2y
Yeah, I think it's contextual.
cujo@sh.itjust.works · 5 pts · 2y
I have to say my bad-to-good ratio is probably:
Pretty bad
Bad
Not good
Ok <- Neutral
Not bad
Pretty good
Good
Which I now realize is a little weird to have "ok" be neutral, with not bad/good on either side of it.
elxeno@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y
And this?
charonn0@startrek.website · 16 pts · 2y
Worse.
See also: "Pretty close"
MedicPigBabySaver@voxpop.social · 2 pts · 2y
Ha, exactly.
Not many options for a little less than good without people getting offended.
"Kinda good" or "almost good" definitely would upset people.
weew@lemmy.ca · 12 pts · 2y
it can mean "decent, better than I expected"
or
"good, but not exceptional or memorable"
Nemo@midwest.social · 10 pts · 2y
Neither, really. I use it to mean "more than expected". Like, if my kids insist I watch a cartoon with them, and I enjoy it, i'd say it's "pretty good". Or if a coworker said something awful about a customer, I might say the comment was "pretty mean".
angstylittlecatboy@reddthat.com · 10 pts · 2y
Depends on the tone.
rich@feddit.uk · 9 pts · 2y
kool_newt@lemm.ee · 9 pts · 2y
Kissaki@feddit.de · 8 pts · 2y
Pretty good is less than good.
I_Am_Jacks_____@lemmings.world · 7 pts · 2y
I think it depends on what expectations were.
You and your friends make a horror movie and it's better than you thought: Hey, that's pretty good.
Steven Spielberg makes a mediocre horror movie: It was pretty good.
ArcaneSlime@lemmy.dbzer0.com · 6 pts · 2y
Depends on tone.
freamon@endlesstalk.org · 6 pts · 2y
I think I use 'pretty good' to pretend I have an opinion about something, rather than it being a moral judgement:
How was the film? Pretty good vs.
How was the film? Good.
13esq@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y
Intonation can carry the meaning.
In the UK, pretty good can mean anything from "not as bad as I thought it would be" to just "OK" or "pretty good! :D"
SonnyVabitch@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
So basically the entire range from bollocks to dog's bollocks.
Kolanaki@yiffit.net · 5 pts · 2y
It would totally depend on my enthusiasm. More often, though, it means worse.
Worse: "Yeah, it's pretty good. But..." <- Talking about a game or a movie
Better: "Whoa! This is pretty good!" <- Food!
tko@tkohhh.social · 5 pts · 2y
I can't imagine how "pretty good" could mean "better than good." Most of the examples posted here are talking about how something relates to your expectations, but that's not the question. Yes, "pretty good" is often used to describe something that is better than expected, but that doesn't make it better than "good."
For example, it doesn't make sense to say "$50 is good, but $100 is pretty good!"
I do think "pretty good" is often used as an understated way to say that something is very good, e.g. "Yeah, Messi is pretty good at soccer." However, that's a play on the actual meaning of the phrase, and should not be construed as the actual meaning.
Sylver@lemmy.world · 5 pts · 2y
I see “pretty good” to be better than just “good”. It seems obvious to me, considering one is only good but the other is pretty good.
pathief@lemmy.world · 4 pts · 2y
I always thought pretty good was better than good. Honestly surprised to find out I may have been wrong my entire life.
OldFartPhil@lemm.ee · 3 pts · 2y
Not necessarily worse, but more ambiguous than if I say something is good.
AppaYipYip@lemmy.world · 2 pts · 2y
Yea for me "pretty good" is an estimate around good. Like using -ish. I don't want to say it was good but it was around good.
init@lemmy.ml · 3 pts · 2y
Good
Pretty good
Really/Very good
Extremely good
Great
Pretty great
Really/very great
Extremely great
Awesome
...
Noodle07@lemmy.world · 3 pts · 2y
Better
dan1101@lemm.ee · 2 pts · 2y
Worse. Sometimes just a little worse than good, sometimes it's medium or negative but you're just trying to be nice. "How did you like the liver and onions I cooked for you?". "It was pretty good."
Blaze@discuss.tchncs.de · 2 pts · 2y
I learned about it the other day. Apparently native English speakers know than non native use it in a more positive way then they do
Still@programming.dev · 2 pts · 2y
pretty good is less good than good
Maddie@sh.itjust.works · 2 pts · 2y
It's not just good, it's good enough!
Dinodicchellathicc@lemmy.ml · 2 pts · 2y
Good>pretty good
The word good is a stronger affirmative imo
Rottcodd@lemmy.ninja · 1 pts · 2y
Generally, for me, it means something less than entirely "good."
The times I'm most likely to use it are when I'm finding minor fault with something - "Well... it was pretty good, but..." or when something is better than I expected, but not quite fully good - "Hey! That was actually pretty good!"
stevehobbes@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
https://youtu.be/O_05qJTeNNI
Pretty good is not at good as good.
PipedLinkBot@feddit.rocks · 1 pts · 2y
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jasonmax@lemmy.frozeninferno.xyz · 1 pts · 2y
Slightly worse
mawkishdave@lemmy.world · 1 pts · 2y
When we say something the words have more impact than the word itself.
tko@tkohhh.social · 2 pts · 2y
Huh?