cute

[kyoot]

adjective

cuter, cutest 

1. attractive, especially in a dainty way; pleasingly pretty.

   a cute child; a cute little apartment.

2. appealing and delightful; charming.

   What a cute toy!

3. affectedly or mincingly pretty or clever; precious.

   The child has acquired some intolerably cute mannerisms.

4. mentally keen; clever; shrewd.

noun

1. Informal.,  the cutes, self-consciously cute mannerisms or appeal; affected coyness.

   The young actress has a bad case of the cutes.

cute

/ kjuːt /

adjective

1. appealing or attractive, esp in a pretty way

2. informal,  sexually attractive

3. informal,  affecting cleverness or prettiness

4. clever; shrewd

Other Word Forms

• cutely adverb
• cuteness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of cute¹

First recorded in 1615–25; aphetic variant of acute

Word History and Origins

Origin of cute¹

C18 (in the sense: clever): shortened from _acute

Idioms and Phrases

Idioms

1. meet cute,

   1. (of a romantic couple) to meet for the first time in a charming or amusing way.

      In this type of movie the boy and girl always meet cute.

   2. Also meet-cute a situation or occasion when potential romantic partners meet for the first time in a charming or amusing way.

      a classic Hollywood meet cute; his meet-cute with Jane in the bookstore.

Example Sentences

“I realized, ‘Hey, this guy’s really cute and funny and sweet,’ and so we started seeing each other,” she says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

"There were comments saying how cute it would be if we ended up together, but I've already got a girlfriend."

Read more on BBC

Her art features cute animals — the kind a child might cuddle with — but with thoughtful, melancholy features and expressions, as if they are grappling with a recent misfortune or trying to navigate a hard day.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

“When we pick something and we all go, ‘Oh my gosh, it’s so cute,’ then we know it’s going to do really well,” Niimura, 45, says.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

In the meantime, the zoo shared photos of the new cute fuzzy primates.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• adorable 
• beautiful 
• charming 
• delightful 
• pleasant 
• pretty