Definition

Adverb 1. To a great degree or extent; almost completely; very nearly. Used to indicate that something is very close to being entirely true, accurate, or complete, with only minor exceptions or qualifications.

Usage

"Pretty much" is a common spoken and informal adverb used to express a high degree of agreement, completeness, or accuracy. It often softens a statement, making it sound less absolute while still conveying that the core point is true. * It typically modifies verbs, adjectives, or entire clauses. * It is synonymous with "basically," "almost," or "virtually" in informal contexts.

Examples

• Modifying a verb phrase: "Have you finished the report?" – "Pretty much, I just need to check the citations."
• Modifying an adjective: "After the long hike, we were pretty much exhausted."
• Modifying a clause: "The two proposals are pretty much the same, with only small differences in the budget."

Advanced Usage

• "Pretty much always/never": Used to emphasize a near-constant state or a near-total absence.
  • He is pretty much always the first one in the office.
  • I pretty much never eat fast food anymore.
• "Pretty much the only/best/worst...": Used to qualify a superlative, suggesting it is very nearly true.
  • This is pretty much the only option we have left.

Variants and Related Words

• Pretty well (adv.): Can be used interchangeably with "pretty much" in many contexts, especially in British English.
  • The project is pretty well finished.
• Pretty (adv.): Informally means "to a moderately high degree; fairly." Note that "pretty" alone is less absolute than "pretty much."
  • The movie was pretty good. (It was fairly good.)
  • The movie was pretty much over. (It was almost completely finished.)

Synonyms

• Basically
• Essentially
• Virtually
• Almost
• Nearly
• Just about
• More or less (informal)

Related Phrases

• For all intents and purposes: A more formal phrase with a similar meaning of "in effect, practically."
  • The merger is, for all intents and purposes, complete.

Adverb

1. to some degree
   • we were pretty much lost when we met the forest ranger