twee

[twee]

adjective

Chiefly British.

1. affectedly dainty or quaint.

   twee writing about furry little creatures.

twee

/ twiː /

adjective

1. excessively sentimental, sweet, or pretty

Other Word Forms

• tweely adverb
• tweeness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of twee¹

1900–05; apparently reduced from tweet (perhaps via pronunciation twiʔ ), mimicking child's pronunciation of sweet

Word History and Origins

Origin of twee¹

C19: from tweet , mincing or affected pronunciation of _sweet

Example Sentences

“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

Some say adding edible flowers is a bit twee, but they certainly make meals look and feel more special.

From Salon

But that also affirms her as a real person as opposed to a flattened personality, one who is inoffensive, a little twee and unbothered about being an amateur with A-list chefs on speed dial.

From Salon

His version of twee has been hollowed out and boiled down to empty platitudes, bereft of any legitimately inspiring or actionable takeaways for the viewer.

From Salon

But one of the most joyous parts of watching and rewatching Paul King’s wonderful movie is that it’s happily running on the last vestiges of Obama-era twee.

From Salon

Related Words

• affected 
• cutesy 
• dainty 
• quaint 
• saccharine 

When To Use

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.