cute
- 01 A2 Elementary
attractive in a pretty or endearing way, like a baby or a small animal.
possessing features or behaviours typically associated with infants or small animals, such as daintiness or innocence.
Simple“The puppy is so cute when it tries to run on the grass.”
In context“The marketing campaign relied heavily on cute illustrations of forest animals to appeal to young families.”
- 02 B1 Intermediate
good-looking or attractive, usually used for young people.
physically attractive or pleasing in a youthful or charming manner.
Simple“I think the new guy in our office is really cute.”
In context“She admitted to having a crush on the lead singer, describing him as the cutest member of the band.”
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 B2 Upper Intermediate
clever or smart, sometimes in a way that is slightly annoying.
mentally keen or discerning; often used to describe a solution that is clever but perhaps overly simplified or cheeky.
Simple“Don't get cute with me—just answer the question honestly.”
In context“The lawyer tried a cute trick to distract the jury, but the judge quickly intervened to keep the trial on track.”
- 04 C1 Advanced
a clever and simple way to solve a problem.
evincing cleverness or surprising elegance in a solution, particularly in technical or mathematical contexts.
Simple“That is a cute way to solve the math problem using only two steps.”
In context“The professor presented a cute proof of the theorem that bypassed the need for complex calculus entirely.”
UsageOften used by mathematicians and engineers to describe a short, clever proof or design.
Antonyms
“Despite looking cute, Emma Kelly from the charity says: "They can bite and they carry zoonotic diseases which are not very pleasant if you were to suffer a bite.”
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.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.