Thomas Chandler HaliburtonBrooks Atkinson
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The Unlikely Evolution of Cute
Cute is a word whose meaning has gone a thorough historical transformation. There is no argument about cute’s derivation: it is a shortening of acute (and was sometimes actually spelled ‘cute). Acute has meant “clever, shrewd” since Shakespeare’s time and has had a set of other meanings as well, but it has never been defined as “attractive or pretty.” The contraction cute first appears in the early 18th century, but only a century later does it begin to take on its distinctive modern meaning; even after 1900 children were still being called cute as a compliment to their intelligence. (Compare the contemporaneous word cunning, with its strikingly similar ambiguity.) A few years into the century, we start to see the word—finally!—in descriptions of puppies and kittens. But the original sense hasn’t completely vanished; in such sentences as “Don’t get cute with me,” cute has nothing to do with adorable sweetness.
Examples of cute in a Sentence
Emily Weaver, PEOPLE, 29 May 2026
Someone says the rats are actually cute — what’s your honest response?
—Zach Schiffman, Curbed, 29 May 2026
While Lala and Gibbs are enjoying their cute moment, and the team is celebrating its rebranding to NCIS, their colleague Randy (Caleb Foote) is kidnapped by unknown assailants.
—Britt Hayes, Entertainment Weekly, 28 May 2026
At the end of the day, take in the sunset over Silver Lake Harbor, where there are many cute shops, restaurants, and inns.
—Elizabeth Rhodes, Travel + Leisure, 28 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for cute
Cite this Entry
“Cute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cute. Accessed 10 Jun. 2026.
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