cute

American  

[kyoot] / kyut /

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.

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noun

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

   The young actress has a bad case of the cutes.

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.

cute British  

/ kjuːt /

adjective

1. appealing or attractive, esp in a pretty way

2. informal sexually attractive

3. informal affecting cleverness or prettiness

4. clever; shrewd

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Other Word Forms

• cutely adverb
• cuteness noun

Etymology

Origin of cute

First recorded in 1615–25; aphetic variant of acute

Example Sentences

It’s like “6,7,” if it wore a helmet and was more cute than irritating.

From The Wall Street Journal

“He has said in the past,” he added, “that it’s too cute.”

From Los Angeles Times

She even has a cute baby who appears in some videos.

From BBC

It is not quite the classic meet-cute, though cute enough, contusions aside: Stan is less concerned about his head than with the location of Cynthia’s bathroom.

From The Wall Street Journal

The culprits were Gen-Zers fawning over how cute cozy Snoopy was, often on social media.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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