cutesy

adjective cute·sy \ ˈkyüt-sē \

|Updated on: 15 Jun 2018

Definition of cutesy

cutesier; cutesiest

: self-consciously or excessively cute

—

cutesiness

noun

See cutesy defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of cutesy from the Web

Trudeau’s critics still love to complain about his cutesy idiosyncrasies: wearing flashy socks, for example, being frequently seen shirtless in public, or photo-bombing regular Canadians.

— selena ross, Washington Post, "Trudeau takes his turn as Trump’s principal antagonist, and Canadians rally around," 10 June 2018
And [the] majority were just, like ... just cutesy poses.

— CBS News, "Were the murders of California teens the work of a serial killer?," 9 June 2018
Jason Williams and Allison-Hunt Kaufmann try way too hard as a cutesy side couple.

— john monaghan, Detroit Free Press, "Review: Meadow Brook's 'Burt & Me' has great songs but a stale story," 7 June 2018
While Claudia is gestating and Luis is tinkering, the scene often shifts to a chorus of six women, with cutesy names like Walnut, Apple, Grapefruit, among others.

— alexis soloski, New York Times, "Review: In Centuries-Spanning ‘Bump,’ It’s Always Labor Day," 17 May 2018
Forget sleek high-rises and cutesy names, the latest coworking spaces in Philly are literally around the corner at your favorite restaurant.

— aubrey nagle, Philly.com, "How Philly ER docs combat opioids, local biz learns from bias training | Morning Newsletter," 29 May 2018
Beneath that cutesy tool, Apple is analyzing more than 50 facial-muscle movements.

— wired.com staff, WIRED, "WIRED’S Predictions for Bots, Blockchains, Crispr, and More," 22 May 2018
Johnson and Martin were first seen together in October getting cutesy over sushi.

— shannon carlin, refinery29.com, "Introducing: Dakota Johnson & Chris Martin, Legit Couple," 11 May 2018
The tinkling keys are a little cutesy for Adele, who seems to be holding back from tearing right through them.

— chuck arnold, Billboard, "Every Adele Song Ranked: Critic's Picks," 4 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'cutesy.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of cutesy

cute + -sy (as in folksy)

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1914

in the meaning defined above

See Words from the same year

CUTESY Defined for English Language Learners

cutesy

adjective

Definition of cutesy for English Language Learners

: trying very hard or too hard to be appealing : too cute in an annoying way

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up cutesy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show

cutesy

Definition of cutesy

cutesiness

Recent Examples of cutesy from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cutesy

CUTESY Defined for English Language Learners

cutesy

Definition of cutesy for English Language Learners

Seen and Heard

WORD OF THE DAY

jabberwocky

BROWSE DICTIONARY

Test Your Vocabulary

Words at Play

Can You Use 'Comprised of'?

Words We're Watching: '-iversary'

'Franchise': Profit from Freedom

What’s a ‘Chef’s Kiss’?

Ask the Editors

Ghost Word

2017 Word of the Year: Behind the Scenes

Literally

Is Singular 'They' a Better Choice?

Word Games

Name More Food!

Yearbook Superlatives Quiz

True or False?

Word Winder's CrossWinder

Can You Use 'Comprised of'?

Trending: DOJ Describes Comey as 'Insubordinate'

Name More Food!

9 Words for Transnational Currencies

Ghost Word

cutesy

Definition of cutesy

cutesiness

Recent Examples of cutesy from the Web

Origin and Etymology of cutesy

CUTESY Defined for English Language Learners

cutesy

Definition of cutesy for English Language Learners

Seen and Heard

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games

Can You Use 'Comprised of'?

Trending: DOJ Describes Comey as 'Insubordinate'

Name More Food!

9 Words for Transnational Currencies

Ghost Word