Cute Definition and Meaning
By Tayyaba Rehman & Urooj Arif — Updated on February 29, 2024
"Cute" describes something or someone that is charmingly attractive, often in a small, youthful, or endearing way. e.g., The kitten's playful antics were undeniably cute.
Table of Contents
Cute Definitions
Cute implies an appealing and delightful attractiveness, especially in a small or pretty form.
She wore a cute dress with floral patterns.
Cute signifies something irresistibly charming, often small or dainty.
The baby's smile was simply cute.
Cute refers to something delightful in a delicate, unassuming way.
They found a cute, hidden café during their walk.
Cute refers to an adorable appearance or behavior that evokes fondness.
His cute gesture of helping the elderly lady won hearts.
Cute can describe clever or witty actions or remarks, charming in a shrewd way.
His response was not only smart but also cute.
Cute is used for things small and lovely, eliciting warm affection.
The tiny, cute house was perfect for the newlyweds.
Cute indicates an enchanting, appealing quality in someone's personality or looks.
Her cute laugh was contagious.
Attractive or pretty in a youthful or dainty way
A cute puppy.
A child wearing a cute outfit.
Clever or witty, especially in an impertinent or evasive way, as in falsely suggesting that one is ignorant about the matter at hand.
Lovable, charming, attractive or pleasing, especially in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way.
Let's go to the mall and look for cute girls.
Cute encompasses anything that makes one go aww due to its delightful nature.
The puppy's clumsy walk was cute.
Obviously contrived to charm; precious
"[He] mugs so ferociously he kills the humor—it's an insufferably cute performance" (David Ansen).
Possessing physical features, behaviors, personality traits or other properties that are mainly attributed to infants and small or cuddly animals; e.g. fair, dainty, round, and soft physical features, disproportionately large eyes and head, playfulness, fragility, helplessness, curiosity or shyness, innocence, affectionate behavior.
Our reaction to cute attributes is understood as the way nature ensures mammals care for their young.
Affected or contrived to charm; mincingly clever; precious; cutesy.
The actor's performance was too cute for me. All that mugging to the audience killed the humor.
Don't get cute with me, boy!
Mentally keen or discerning (See also acute)
Cute trick, but can you do it consistently?
Evincing cleverness; surprising in its elegance or unconventionality (but of limited importance).
There's a cute alternative proof of this using lambda calculus.
Clever; sharp; shrewd; ingenious; cunning.
Pleasantly attractive, in a delicate way; - said of children, young ladies, pet animals and some objects, but seldom of adults; as, a cute child; a cute kitten; a cute little house; a cute statue.
Smart-alecky or impertinent; as, a cute remark.
Affectedly clever.
Attractive especially by means of smallness or prettiness or quaintness;
A cute kid with pigtails
A cute little apartment
Cunning kittens
A cunning baby
Obviously contrived to charm;
An insufferably precious performance
A child with intolerably cute mannerisms
Cute conveys a youthful, innocent charm that is endearing.
The child's cute pronunciation of difficult words amused everyone.
Cute often relates to things that are attractively quaint or pretty.
She had a cute, freckled face.
Cute Snonyms
Charming
Pleasant or attractive.
His charming demeanor won everyone over.
Lovely
Exquisitely beautiful.
The view from the hill was simply lovely.
Engaging
Charming and attractive.
Her engaging smile captivated the audience.
Pleasing
Agreeable to the senses or mind.
The design of the house is very pleasing.
Adorable
Inspiring great affection; delightful.
The baby's smile is absolutely adorable.
Attractive
Pleasing or appealing to the senses.
The brochure showed the city's most attractive sights.
Winsome
Attractive or appealing in appearance or character.
Her winsome personality made her very popular.
Sweet
Pleasing in general; delightful.
She left a sweet note for her friend.
Endearing
Inspiring affection.
His endearing habits make him very likable.
Fetching
Attractive; captivating.
She wore a fetching dress to the party.
Cute Idioms & Phrases
Cute as a kitten
Incredibly adorable, often used for small, fluffy animals or children.
The way the baby giggled and clapped her hands was cute as a kitten.
Cute as a bug's ear
Extremely cute, often used humorously due to the incongruity of bugs having cute ears.
The newborn puppies were cute as a bug's ear, snuggling together in their bed.
As cute as a button
Extremely charming or adorable.
The little girl in her pink dress was as cute as a button, drawing smiles from everyone she passed.
Too cute by half
Excessively cute in a way that seems artificial or irritating.
The actor's constant winking and smiling was too cute by half, making the interview rather awkward.
Cute but cunning
Appearing innocent and adorable but actually being sly and deceptive.
Despite her cute but cunning facade, she was a shrewd businesswoman.
Cute trick
A clever or cunning action, not necessarily positive.
It was a cute trick to hide the keys where no one would think to look.
Cutely competitive
Engaging in competition with a charming, non-threatening demeanor.
The siblings were cutely competitive, always trying to outdo each other with a smile.
Playing it cute
Acting in a calculatedly adorable way to gain favor or advantage.
He was playing it cute with his teacher, hoping for an extension on his project.
Cutely clueless
Appearing naive or innocent in an endearing way.
Her cutely clueless questions about technology always made us laugh.
Cute as a bug in a rug
Feeling snug, comfortable, and happy.
Wrapped up in her cozy blanket, she was as cute as a bug in a rug.
Cute enough to eat
Extremely adorable, as if one could metaphorically 'eat them up.'
The baby in his little bear suit was cute enough to eat.
Cute as a picture
Extremely adorable or picturesque.
The toddler dressed in a fairy costume was cute as a picture.
Cute as a cupcake
Very charming and sweet, often used to describe someone's appearance or personality.
With her rosy cheeks and bright eyes, the little girl was as cute as a cupcake.
Cute as a speckled pup
Very cute, often used in rural or colloquial contexts.
The little boy with his freckles was as cute as a speckled pup.
Cute but clueless
Appearing charming or attractive but lacking understanding or knowledge.
He was cute but clueless about how to cook even the simplest meal.
Cute meets clever
A situation where attractiveness is combined with intelligence.
In the debate team, it was a case of cute meets clever, with participants being both articulate and charming.
Cute beyond compare
So charming or delightful that it surpasses usual standards.
The garden in spring was cute beyond compare, with flowers blooming in every corner.
Cute and coy
Attractive in a shy or reserved manner.
Her cute and coy demeanor won her many admirers at the party.
Cute as a fox
Attractive and cunning, often used to describe someone who is clever in a charming way.
She was as cute as a fox, always finding creative solutions to complex problems.
Cute as a cricket
Very cute, often referring to something small and lively.
The energetic puppy, bouncing around the yard, was as cute as a cricket.
Cute Example Sentences
Her cute, round glasses suited her face perfectly.
He bought a cute, stuffed bear for his younger sister.
The little girl's cute dimples appeared every time she smiled.
He thought the way she tied her hair was cute.
The movie character's cute antics made everyone in the theater laugh.
The little frog he found in the garden was cute.
The toddler's attempt to sing the song was adorably cute.
The teacher found the student's excuse for being late cute.
The tiny, cute kitten curled up in a ball and slept.
She drew a cute cartoon character in her notebook.
The way the boy shared his lunch was really cute.
The birthday card he made was cute and thoughtful.
They saw a cute squirrel darting through the trees.
Her new shoes with the bows were particularly cute.
He made a cute, surprised face when she entered the room.
Common Curiosities
Why is it called cute?
It is called cute because it is used to describe something or someone as attractive in a pretty or endearing way.
How many syllables are in cute?
There is 1 syllable in "cute."
How do we divide cute into syllables?
Cute is not divided into syllables as it is a single syllable word.
What is the pronunciation of cute?
Cute is pronounced as /kyut/.
What is a stressed syllable in cute?
In the word "cute," the single syllable "cute" is the stressed syllable.
What part of speech is cute?
Cute is an adjective.
How is cute used in a sentence?
Cute is used as an adjective in a sentence, e.g., "The puppy is very cute."
What is the opposite of cute?
The opposite of cute could be "unattractive" or "plain."
Is cute a noun or adjective?
Cute is an adjective.
What is the verb form of cute?
Cute does not have a verb form; it is only used as an adjective.
What is the plural form of cute?
Cute is used for both singular and plural; it does not have a separate plural form.
Is the cute term a metaphor?
The word "cute" itself is not a metaphor, but it can be used metaphorically depending on the context.
Is the word “cute” a Direct object or an Indirect object?
"Cute" is neither a direct object nor an indirect object; it is an adjective that describes a noun.
What is the root word of cute?
The root word of cute is "acute," from which "cute" originated as a shortened form.
What is another term for cute?
Another term for cute is "adorable."
Is cute an adverb?
No, cute is not an adverb; it is an adjective.
Is the word cute Gerund?
No, "cute" is not a gerund; it is an adjective. Gerunds are verbs that function as nouns and end in -ing.
Which determiner is used with cute?
Determiners like "a," "an," and "the" or possessives like "my," "your," etc., can be used with "cute" depending on the context, e.g., "a cute puppy."
Is cute an abstract noun?
No, cute is not a noun; it is an adjective and does not refer to an abstract concept.
Is cute a countable noun?
Cute is not a noun; it's an adjective and therefore is not countable.
What is the singular form of cute?
Cute is both the singular and plural form; it does not change.
Is cute a negative or positive word?
Cute is a positive word.
Is cute a vowel or consonant?
The word "cute" begins with a consonant sound.
Is the word cute imperative?
No, "cute" is not an imperative form as it is an adjective, not a verb.
Which preposition is used with cute?
Prepositions used with "cute" vary based on context, like "in a cute style" or "with cute decorations."
Which conjunction is used with cute?
Conjunctions are not specific to the word "cute" and depend on the sentence structure. Examples include "and," "but," or "or," e.g., "cute and cuddly."
Which article is used with cute?
The indefinite article "a" is used with "cute" when it precedes a noun starting with a consonant sound, e.g., "a cute puppy." "The" can be used when referring to a specific item, e.g., "the cute puppy."
Is cute a collective noun?
No, cute is not a collective noun; it's an adjective.
Which vowel is used before cute?
When using an indefinite article before "cute," "a" is used because "cute" begins with a consonant sound, e.g., "a cute kitten."
Share Your Discovery
Previous Term
Round Definition and Meaning
Next Term
Winning Definition and MeaningAuthor Spotlight
Written by
Tayyaba RehmanTayyaba Rehman is a distinguished writer, currently serving as a primary contributor to askdifference.com. As a researcher in semantics and etymology, Tayyaba's passion for the complexity of languages and their distinctions has found a perfect home on the platform. Tayyaba delves into the intricacies of language, distinguishing between commonly confused words and phrases, thereby providing clarity for readers worldwide.
Co-written by
Urooj ArifUrooj is a skilled content writer at Ask Difference, known for her exceptional ability to simplify complex topics into engaging and informative content. With a passion for research and a flair for clear, concise writing, she consistently delivers articles that resonate with our diverse audience.
