Pretty (adverb)

[Levon]

Hi there. Help me with this question, please.
It’s about the adverbial use of ‘pretty’.
Pretty well, pretty nearly, pretty much etc. or ‘I’m pretty sick’ ‘I’m pretty sure’…..
It means ‘very’ or ‘quite’, doesn’t it?

Would it be right to write ‘pretty’ in these cases?
He looks pretty handsome in this photo.
She was pretty beautiful at the party.

Can we use it with every adjective or not?
Is it used in formal English?

Thanks!

[Cerberus™]

You could use it with any adjective; but it can be a bit informal, depending on who you're talking to. Using it with "handsome" and "beautiful" is equally possible. But it might look a little bit odd to some readers. First, because those two words are somewhat more formal nowadays than "pretty" as "quite, so that there is a small discrepancy here; secondly, because using "pretty" near words that mean "beautiful" triggers its adjectival meaning, which may lead to some confusion.

[Levon]

Thank you so very much!

well will you answer my another question?
Is it correct to say so very much?
"so very ..." or "how very ..."

And I heard such an expression: "I love you so". I think it isn't grammatically correct.
In my native language both cases are possible but they're not formal, what about English?

[Cerberus™]

[Levon]

Then I should say:
Thank you very much for your quite helpful answers.