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
Caroline Reid, Forbes, 22 Oct. 2024
Styling-wise, pair the latter with a retro sneaker and cashmere sweater—and on especially chilly days, layer in a cute beanie and fluffy scarf.
—Laura Jackson, Vogue, 22 Oct. 2024
Marci Robin, Allure, 16 June 2022
This is high-octane cute.
—Ali Barthwell, Vulture, 25 Aug. 2021
See all Example Sentences for cute 
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.
Dictionary Entries Near cute
Cite this Entry
“Cute.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cute. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.
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