Meaning of pretty pass | Babel Free

Definitions

An unsatisfactory situation.

dated

Examples

“"Things have⟳ got to a pretty pass⟳, if a woman can't give⟳ a warm supper and a bed to poor, starving creatures, just because they are slaves, and have⟳ been abused and oppressed all their lives, poor things!"”

“The prisoner of unknown bandits, hurried he knew not whence, a pretty pass⟳ for an adventurer.”

“When any of his descendants chose to take⟳ him to task for the crudeness of his manners he was accustomed to look⟳ them coldly over and retort that things had come⟳ to a pretty pass⟳ when comparatively new people ventured to instruct the oldest of the old settlers as to what was or was not good form⟳.”

“Things have⟳ come⟳ to a pretty pass⟳ when a highly regarded City law firm does not know⟳ whether it is employing its own⟳ staff legally.”

CEFR level