cutie pie

Sometimes cutesy pie

noun

Informal.

1. darling; sweetheart; sweetie (often used as a term of endearment).

2. cutie.

Other Word Forms

• cutie-pie adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of cutie pie¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Related Words

• bunny 
• dish 

When To Use

What does cutie pie mean?

Cutie pie is a term of endearment and affection that’s especially used to refer to or to address young children, much like sweetheart, sweetie, or darling.You can call a young child a cutie pie or you can address a young child as cutie pie, as in Hey, cutie pie! I missed you!The word cutie can be used by itself to mean the same thing. However, cutie can also be used to refer to a person whom one considers attractive, as in There are a couple of real cuties in my math class. It can also be used as a term of address. However, this sense of the word can be considered demeaning toward the person it’s referring to or addressing.Though it’s less common, the term cutie pie can also be used to refer to or address a person whom one considers attractive. Because the term is most typically used to refer to children, calling an adult a cutie pie is even more likely to be considered demeaning. Still, it’s possible that cutie pie can be directed toward someone other than a young child in a way that’s not considered demeaning, especially when it comes from a person they love as a term of affection.The hyphenated form cutie-pie can be used as an adjective. It’s often used to mean the same thing as cute, as in I love the little cutie-pie baby shoes—they’re so precious! A much less common variant of cutie pie is cutesy pie.Example: Your nephew is such a cutie pie—look at that sweet face!