cute

== English == === Etymology === Aphetic form of acute, originally meaning “keenly perceptive or discerning, shrewd” (1731). Meaning transferred to “pretty, fetching” by US students (slang) c. 1834. Meaning drifted further to describe the pleasing attraction to features usually possessed by the young. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /kjuːt/ Homophone: Qt Rhymes: -uːt === Adjective === cute (comparative cuter, superlative cutest) 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. Lovable, charming, attractive or pleasing, especially in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way. Sexually attractive or pleasing; gorgeous. Affected or contrived to charm; mincingly clever; precious; cutesy. Mentally keen or discerning (See also acute) Synonyms: clever, shrewd ca. 1850. Anonymous, "Turpin Hero" (broadside ballad, probably originally dating to 18th century) Then Turpin being so very cute,He hid his money in his boot. (especially mathematics) Evincing cleverness; surprising in its elegance or unconventionality (but of limited importance). ==== Usage notes ==== All meanings except for the first one are less commonly found outside of North America. ==== Synonyms ==== (having features mainly attributed to infants and small or cuddly animals): endearing (attractive or pleasing in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way): pretty ==== Derived terms ==== ==== Descendants ==== → Arabic: كْيُوت (kyūt), كِيُوت (kiyūt) → Danish: cute → Armenian: քյութ (kʻyutʻ) → Dutch: kjoet → Japanese: キュート (kyūto) → Vietnamese: cute ==== Translations ==== == Albanian == === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈt͡suta/ === Verb === cute second-person singular aorist of cut == Danish == === Etymology === Borrowed from English cute. === Adjective === cute (youthful) cute, adorable (youthful) sweet, attractive (of a person, especially a prospective partner) ==== Synonyms ==== (adorable): nuttet, kær == Italian == === Etymology === Borrowed from Latin cutis. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈku.te/ Rhymes: -ute Hyphenation: cù‧te === Noun === cute f (plural cuti) (anatomy) cutis, skin (of a person) Synonym: pelle ==== Derived terms ==== cutaneo == Latin == === Noun === cute ablative singular of cutis == Middle English == === Noun === cute (Catholicon Anglicum) alternative form of cote (“coot”) == Pali == === Alternative forms === === Adjective === cute locative singular masculine/neuter & accusative plural masculine & vocative singular feminine of cuta, which is past participle of cavati (“to die away from a world”) == Romanian == === Etymology === Inherited from Latin cōtem, accusative of cōs. The expected result would have been *coate in Romanian, but may have been influenced by cuțit and ascuți. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈku.te/ Rhymes: -ute Hyphenation: cu‧te === Noun === cute f (plural cute) whetstone Synonym: gresie === References === == Spanish == === Etymology === Unadapted borrowing from English cute. === Pronunciation === IPA(key): /ˈkjut/ [ˈkjut̪] Rhymes: -ut === Adjective === cute (invariable) cute Synonyms: lindo, adorable, (Spain) mono, (Spain) cuqui, (Spain) cuco === Further reading === “cute”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8.1, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 15 December 2025 == Vietnamese == === Etymology === From English cute. === Pronunciation === (Hà Nội) IPA(key): [ku˧˧ tɛ˧˧] (Huế) IPA(key): [kʊw˧˧ tɛ˧˧] (Saigon) IPA(key): [kʊw˧˧ tɛ˧˧] Phonetic spelling: cu te === Adjective === cute cute Con cún cute quá. ― What a cute puppy. ==== Derived terms ====