"Pretty Boy": Compliment or Insult?

[JaD]

So how about it?

Is this phrase a humorous way of complimenting someone, or a clear right-hook at someone's looks? Or does it simply depend on the situation?

 

[DorneyDave]

I'd say an insult, to me "pretty boy" has always insinuated that the person is simply trying too hard and they come off looking goofy instead of suave.

 

[November Rain]

snide remark. It's highlighting you have nothing between the ears,

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Yea I don't like it. I consider "pretty boys", especially the ones over here, as tarts who spend more time in the mirror than your average girl. Any bloke who spends more time grooming themselves than a woman is a muppet IMO. Now don't get me wrong, I do shave and slap on some after shave when I go out, but these "pretty boys" they exfoliate, go to tanning salons, go to hairdressers instead or barbers, get manicures. All that **** isn't for men!!

 

[Lantern Venom]

If your last name is Mayweather, it's a compliment.t:

 

[Nirvana]

It's an insult for those who are jealous of the other person's looks. It's a compliment if you know you're better looking than the other individual.

 

[Darthphere]

It's an insult for those who are jealous of the other person's looks. It's a compliment if you know you're better looking than the other individual.

 

[Majik1387]

I take it as a compliment.

 

[Majic Walrus]

Straight=Insult

Gay=Compliment

 

[spideyboy_1111]

More testosterone driven, masculine guys would find it an insult to call someone such, but if you got it, flaunt it i say. If some one called me a pretty boy i'd take it as a compliment :-P, so definitely depends on the situation, how it's used, and how the person getting called it's perspective is.

 

[spideyboy_1111]

It's an insult for those who are jealous of the other person's looks. It's a compliment if you know you're better looking than the other individual.

very well put t:

 

[Be Snikt-Happy]

definitely a form of insult. its one of those words you cant really see as a compliment, if used as is "pretty boy." you can say, "man this guy over here (point to friend) he's too pretty for his own good! getting all our gfs to buy him cake for his birthday, how did you do that man." its playful. now try it like this:

"man this pretty boy over here (point to friend) he's too pretty for his own good! getting all our gfs to buy him cake for his birthday, how did you do that man."

its def used to insinuate that you are a bit girly or a bit of a pansy. so yes you should not take it as a compliment when you hear it, but you dont have to get offended by it either. most guys say that bc they feel the other guy really could take his girl bc he possess a look the first guy believes might be attractive to women, even if its not so. they are insecure and say it as a pre-emptive strike kinna deal.

so many guys wanna pin me as the pretty boy just bc of the long hair. my face isnt good looking, but i have long hair. most guys just see the hair and think ladies would like that. so they get defensive and always pull their gfs closer and stare at me ha ha. i think long hair is more tarzan/conan carbarian/wild man. the world would be too simple if long hair guys did it to look good.

but back on topic, you can call a guy pretty as a joke between friends. but for some reason "pretty-boy" is for ppl who dont exactly wnat to be cool with each other. its like you can call your friend a tough (space) guy. but when you say "oh look at tough-guy over here." or "oh yeah, john's such a tough-guy" it insinuates that they "try" too hard to be tough.

 

[Asteroid-Man]

It's an insult.

 

[JaD]

It's an insult for those who are jealous of the other person's looks. It's a compliment if you know you're better looking than the other individual.

Strangely, that's how I've sometimes looked at that phrase, but then that makes me feel arrogant or cocky. But I definitely look at it as an insult for the most part.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

I'd rather be called a "rough round the edges boy" over "pretty boy" all day long!

 

[Jay#1]

i see it as a compliment, you are being acknowledged as a good looking individual!

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Yea but I and a lot of others look at pretty boys as the sorta guys who wear foundation and exfoliate and get fake tans. I would never want to be thought of like that!

 

[Jay#1]

Well i guess it also depends on where you come from. a pretty boy here can just be a person who is well groomed

 

[Majik1387]

You should at least exfoliate.

 

[Ace of Knaves]

Na mate. I use some moisturizer after I have shaved and sometimes use them skin scrubs, but I would never exfoliate or wear foundation or any of that ****. Or the blokes who look like they have spent about a hour styling their beards!! HAHA Jokers. A bloke should never, ever, ever spend more time looking in the mirror than a girl. And in my experience most woman hate blokes like that.

 

[Troy_Parker]

Urm, I think it depends on situation.........................meh....

 

[Superfreak]

it depends actually, on who it's coming from

 

[JaD]

So basically, what happened with me (at least). A couple months ago my coworker (who I hate with the fire of a thousand suns) said something to me like "blah blah blah, "pretty boy". And I had no idea why he felt the need to call me that. I mean I only wear my work uniform around him and he doesn't know me. Clearly some kind of insult but I could never figure out exactly he was saying and why he did

 

[gap5ewl]

Definitely an insult. It's supposed to mean that your just good looking and charismatic and focus too much on your image and have no real substance and aren't tough enough. In other words you're a *****

 

[Spidey-Bat]

Most of the time it's used as an insult but depends on the context. I think the only group of people who would use it as a compliment are gay guys. Most people wouldn't use "pretty" to describe males regardless of age.