adorable
Americanadjective
-
very attractive; charming; lovable
-
rare deserving or eliciting adoration
Other Word Forms
- adorability noun
- adorableness noun
- adorably adverb
- unadorable adjective
- unadorableness noun
- unadorably adverb
Etymology
Origin of adorable
From the Latin word adōrābilis, dating back to 1605–15. See adore, -able
Explanation
Tie a pink ribbon around your puppy's neck and push him around in a stroller, and you'll either get worried stares or compliments on how adorable he looks. Adorable means lovable, sweet, and childlike. The adjective adorable is mostly used to mean "cute," when someone is describing something sweet or charming, like a baby or a pretty dress. The origins of the word adorable are actually religious; it was first used only to mean "worthy of adoration." The Latin word adorare, "to ask in prayer," is the root of adore, which in the 14th century meant "to worship." It wasn't until the 1880s that adorable began to mean "delightful" rather than "worthy of worshiping."
Vocabulary lists containing adorable
Florida's B.E.S.T. Common Suffixes: -able, -ible
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Positive Words to Describe People, List 2
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
"I had an adorable opponent. I knew Derek was going to bring everything he had," Wilder said afterwards.
From BBC • Apr. 4, 2026
Christine Hamilton and Dr. Vic St. John got engaged so quickly and exhibited so little tension that people called them adorable but boring or, worse, ringers.
From Salon • Mar. 8, 2026
As Ms. Luiselli did, Mr. Enrigue deploys their adorable, wise-beyond-their-years children as props in the novel’s ethical agenda.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 5, 2026
Paddington was led off stage in an adorable moment.
From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 22, 2026
With another adorable sneeze, the rider entered the light.
From "The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams" by Daniel Nayeri
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
