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 …

CUTE definition: 1. (especially of something or someone small or young) pleasant and attractive: 2. trying to be…. Learn more.

CUTE definition: attractive, especially in a dainty way; pleasingly pretty. See examples of cute used in a sentence.

Dec 19, 2025 · Our reaction to cute attributes is understood as the way nature ensures mammals care for their young.

Word History: Cute was originally a shortened form of acute in the sense "keenly perceptive or discerning, shrewd." In this sense cute is first recorded in a dictionary published in 1731.

Definition of cute adjective in Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary. Meaning, pronunciation, picture, example sentences, grammar, usage notes, synonyms and more.

adj. attractive, esp. in a dainty way; pleasingly pretty: a cute child; a cute little apartment. affectedly or mincingly pretty or clever; precious: The child has acquired some intolerably cute …