cute
Americanadjective
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attractive, especially in a dainty way; pleasingly pretty.
a cute child; a cute little apartment.
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appealing and delightful; charming.
What a cute toy!
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affectedly or mincingly pretty or clever; precious.
The child has acquired some intolerably cute mannerisms.
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mentally keen; clever; shrewd.
noun
idioms
adjective
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appealing or attractive, esp in a pretty way
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informal sexually attractive
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informal affecting cleverness or prettiness
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clever; shrewd
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of cute
First recorded in 1615–25; aphetic variant of acute
Explanation
The adjective cute describes something that’s attractive in a pleasing, nonthreatening way. Things that are small or young are often described as cute, like babies, puppies, or toy fire engines. Something that’s cute is easy to like. We usually use cute to describe how something looks, like your cute smile or your cute dimples, but you can use it for anything that’s endearing or pleasing, like the boy-gets-girl ending to a romantic comedy. Cute can also refer to something that’s overly clever and a little bit fake. Don’t be too cute when you fill out a college application — the person reading it might not think it’s so funny.
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.
Mr. Pratt has recorded cute social-media videos with dogs, promising to overhaul the city’s dysfunctional shelter system and to require vagrants to get treatment for mental health illnesses and addictions.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 24, 2026
They do upholstering, but they have a lot of cute little tchotchkes.
From Los Angeles Times • May 22, 2026
We got it in a box of other cute little baby medical supplies from a neighbor, and I firmly believe that it makes the perfect baby shower gift.
From Slate • May 17, 2026
"The little panda is cute, adorable and totally heart-melting," a fan wrote on the zoo's social media page.
From Barron's • May 15, 2026
It was weird, almost awkward, watching Special Agent Gonzales and Mamá acting like teenagers around each other, but it was also kind of cute.
From "Summer of the Mariposas" by Guadalupe García McCall
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.
