twee
Americanadjective
adjective
Usage
What else does twee mean? Twee describes someone or something as affectedly and cloyingly cute, sweet, and quaint. It's also a subgenre of indie pop music.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of twee
1900–05; apparently reduced from tweet (perhaps via pronunciation twiʔ ), mimicking child's pronunciation of sweet
Explanation
Something is twee if it's a little too cute or overly adorable. A children's book that is sweet and sentimental, illustrated with squirrels in little dresses, could be described as twee. You could call a flowery hat twee, or describe an elaborate tea party, complete with lacy napkins, fancy silverware, and dressed-up guests, as twee. The word is traditionally British, and its original meaning could have described a dollhouse: "tiny, dainty, or miniature." Much as tummy comes from stomach, twee stems from the (overly adorable) way a child might pronounce the word sweet.
Vocabulary lists containing twee
This Week In Words: August 30–September 4, 2020
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Far from the Tree
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
Symphony for the City of the Dead
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
“A Big Bold Beautiful Journey” is sticky sweet and sludgy and so cloyingly aesthetic that the roadkill bleeds ropes of twee entrails.
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 19, 2025
But when Emily visits Stephanie, who’s locked away in her hotel room on house arrest like a twee Rapunzel, it becomes clear that the players have been miscounted.
From Salon • May 3, 2025
Despite its heavy subject matter, We Live In Time has been praised as "life-affirming", although other critics have described it as "positively twee".
From BBC • Oct. 17, 2024
July’s work has frequently been described as whimsical or twee, but those adjectives can’t convey the molten core of this book, which is at once hilarious and dead serious.
From Seattle Times • May 22, 2024
She liked the way he said locate, all twee, like a schoolmaster.
From "Beauty Queens" by Libba Bray
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.
