Thomas Chandler Haliburton
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The Unlikely Evolution of Cute
Cute is a word whose meaning has gone has gone through 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.
Synonyms
Examples of cute in a Sentence
Kara Nesvig, Allure, 8 Apr. 2024
Molly Ringwald's 3 Children: All About Mathilda, Adele and Roman
The cute family shot comes days after the Sixteen Candles star reflected on the life (and conception!) of eldest daughter Mathilda, 20, in an interview with U.K. newspaper The Times.
—Bailey Richards, Peoplemag, 7 Apr. 2024
The cute animal theme also supports object recognition as tots get older and the soft and cushiony texture makes this a fun and comfy toy for little ones to interact with.
—Maya Polton, Parents, 6 Apr. 2024
In Michigan, the app was banned in March 2023 from government devices — with certain exceptions, like Democratic Gov. Gretchen Whitmer's promotional account, which has brought cute dog videos, her March Madness bracket and news about her initiatives to her roughly 245,000 followers.
—Brooke Schultz, Quartz, 6 Apr. 2024
Interested adopters can meet the cute Colonel Cabbage at AHS’ new Papago Park Campus.
—The Arizona Republic, 5 Apr. 2024
Grab a picture with a cute piglet or explore three buildings filled with local vendors.
—Jody MacE, Charlotte Observer, 3 Apr. 2024
Most recently luxury nail artist Harriet Westmoreland created a cute, short set for her celebrity client Lily Allen.
—Elle Turner, Glamour, 2 Apr. 2024
Sending me a post of myself in my school uniform calling me a cute nerdy girl.
—Christian Holub, EW.com, 2 Apr. 2024
Marci Robin, Allure, 16 June 2022
This is high-octane cute.
—Ali Barthwell, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2021
With a backyard this cute, who needs a trip?
—Hadley Keller, House Beautiful, 13 Oct. 2020
Duff credited photographer Laura Moll for the cute snap.
—Tracey Harrington McCoy, Peoplemag, 21 Dec. 2022
And through it all, for two decades, a so-ugly-he’s-cute saber-toothed squirrel has been trying to get his grubby mitts on an acorn.
—Perseverance Apr. 14, Vulture, 14 Apr. 2022
These animals are not the same as their cute-and-cuddly ringed seal counterparts: Leopard seals are toothsome beasts that can grow to nearly 10 feet long.
—Sara Novak, Discover Magazine, 7 Dec. 2022
For Your Secret Santa With over 48,000 ratings on Amazon, these cute-as-can-be sponges are just the best.
—Cailey Lindberg and Brigitt Earley, Good Housekeeping, 6 Dec. 2022
Made of comfy, breathable cotton, the rompers are available in sizes ranging from 0 to 24 months and feature cute-as-can-be prints, from happy fruits to animals.
—Ashlea Halpern, Condé Nast Traveler, 22 Apr. 2022
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'cute.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
Phrases Containing cute
Dictionary Entries Near cute
Cite this Entry
“Cute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cute. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
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Kids Definition
cute
adjective
More from Merriam-Webster on cute
Nglish: Translation of cute for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of cute for Arabic Speakers
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