adorable
Americanadjective
-
very attractive; charming; lovable
-
rare deserving or eliciting adoration
Other Word Forms
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.
Plus, going no-contact with your parents, a growing way women show their hard work at the gym, and an adorable new AI agent you’ll need to keep a close eye on.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 3, 2026
“Uh-oh,” the adorable furry creature says while peering through the unzipped opening as the new release date appears.
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026
Eventually, she’s comforted by her unwavering support of Keeley, who is just the right mix of adorable, attractive and ambitious, and the fact that at least she’s not an anti-feminist like her mother.
From Salon ● Sep. 10, 2026
She sold the adorable Victorian bungalow 13 years later for $950,000.
From MarketWatch ● Sep. 4, 2026
The long-lost scamp had become a frequent visitor once more, usually with an adorable troika of squirrel babies scampering behind, and another grown-up-sized squirrel, too.
From "The Long-Lost Home" by Maryrose Wood
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
