Twee and Baby Talk

Most adults wouldn't be caught dead saying, "Oh, look at the twee little birdie!" but they probably wouldn't be averse to saying: "He went fishing with his dad," "She works as a nanny," or "Hey, buddy, how's it going?" Anyone who uses dad, nanny, or buddy owes a debt to "baby talk," a term used for both the childish speech adults adopt when addressing youngsters and for the speech of small children who are just learning to talk. Twee also originated in baby talk as an alteration of sweet. In the early 1900s, it was a term of affection, but nowadays British speakers and writers—and, increasingly, Americans as well—use twee for things that have passed beyond agreeable and into the realm of cloying.

Examples of twee in a Sentence

The movie was a bit twee for my taste.

Recent Examples on the Web What could have been twee and uninvolving is in fact heartwarming and enthralling. — Malcolm Forbes, Washington Post, 16 Sep. 2022 And sometimes, the bicycle can even seem just a twee lifestyle accessory, displayed in the windows of upmarket boutiques, parked in a rack (but seemingly rarely used) in front of luxury hotels. — Tom Vanderbilt, Outside Online, 29 July 2022 Miffed by the backlash, the Birds cut their own version of the song, with lead singer Ira Tucker transforming Mr. Simon’s twee choirboy vocal into raucous, tent-revival testifying. — Eddie Dean, WSJ, 29 July 2022 The Hudson Valley is a prime agricultural region stretching from New York City to Albany, N.Y., home to an eclectic mix of tractor dealerships, twee specialty food shops, dollar stores and high-end furniture boutiques. — New York Times, 9 June 2022 The tone of twee amusement set by the jaunty score, which portends a silly, perhaps even clownishly derisive caricature, one that looks down on its protagonist with an air of superiority? — Michael O'sullivan, Washington Post, 31 May 2022 Initially, the plot seems to be set up for Cameron to throw himself a pity party in the most obnoxiously twee way imaginable. — Angie Han, The Hollywood Reporter, 14 Mar. 2022 Thinking Ivan’s taste is too decorative, too twee, and too irrelevant is wrong. — Brian T. Allen, National Review, 26 Feb. 2022 Often used to decorate twee cocktails or cakes, this glitzy, fine powder has made its way onto all types of savory fare in my kitchen, sprucing up and inspiring what would otherwise be lackluster mid-winter meals. — Melissa Kravitz Hoeffner, Bon Appétit, 18 Mar. 2022 See More

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