cute

adjective

ˈkyüt How to pronounce cute (audio)
Definition of cutenext
1
as in beautiful
very pleasing to look at a cute baby that no one could resist cooing over

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in cunning
clever at attaining one's ends by indirect and often deceptive means she's very nice, but she's not afraid to get cute when there's something she wants

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in flippant
making light of something usually regarded as serious or sacred we're having a serious discussion here, so cut the cute remarks

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of cute When the quarterback sneak is ripped from the playbook, creativity isn’t cute. — Sam McDowell 20, Kansas City Star, 20 Oct. 2026 A lot of customers come to Coburn and Painteddog with expectations of National Geographic-like experiences featuring cute, cuddly animals. — Tabitha Parent, PEOPLE, 20 Oct. 2026 A little planning stretches way further than a panic Target run, and the cute touches people actually post about on their stories cost next to nothing. — Lauren Schuster, Miami Herald, 19 Oct. 2026 Greg Wise’s Willoughby was cute to boot, and then gave Winslet’s Marianne the boot. — Reshma Gopaldas, IndieWire, 19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for cute
Recent Examples of Synonyms for cute
  1. beautiful
  2. cunning
  3. playful
  4. lovely
  5. slick
  6. smart
  7. gorgeous
  8. subtle
Adjective
  • Beyond cooking, Relota Luczo takes a shot of Furtuna Skin’s LXR06 Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil on an empty stomach each morning to maintain her beautiful skin.
    — Jennifer Weil, Footwear News, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Give the cake a final shake of fresh nutmeg for a beautiful presentation.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026
Definition of beautiful
Adjective
  • Magpies are opportunistic scavengers, incredibly cunning and deceitful and capable of calculated deception.
    — Voice of the People, New York Daily News, 28 Sep. 2026
  • Last week, Alan Cumming’s cunning competition empire The Traitors unsheathed its most diabolical twist yet.
    — Rebecca Alter, Vulture, 24 Sep. 2026
Definition of cunning
Adjective
  • In a Harris Poll survey published Wednesday, 65% of American adults reported spending $100 or more on playful activities or products — such as craft kits or action figures — for personal enjoyment between June 2025 and June 2026.
    — Renée Onque, CNBC, 23 Oct. 2026
  • For Grande, whose ponytail has long been as recognizable as her voice, the new look is a playful departure that still stays true to her vibe.
    — Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of playful
Adjective
  • Montserrat Collection Residence Set within a 1930s French-style building, this lovely home features contemporary Argentine art and mid-century design.
    — Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 26 Oct. 2026
  • But Mi-ok is game to be interviewed, and her words spring to life in wistfully lovely flashbacks.
    — Justin Chang, New Yorker, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of lovely
Adjective
  • Walid Itayim plays a free and funky guitar solo over Sami Shabshab’s slick bassline, but the lyrics pierce straight through the upbeat tune.
    — Shy Clara Thompson, Pitchfork, 23 Oct. 2026
  • And belief isn’t manufactured by marketing departments, slick hype videos or breathless preseason predictions.
    — Mike Bianchi, The Orlando Sentinel, 22 Oct. 2026
Definition of slick
Adjective
  • Craig was highly rated, and the plan to try to be more physical with Sammis’ pro-style attack in a league increasingly dominated by teams built in the trenches like Texas Tech, BYU and Utah seemed smart.
    — Jim Barnes, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 25 Oct. 2026
  • Having experienced the dial adjust the volume on its own while the case was in my pocket, a disable option seems smart.
    — Mark Knapp, PC Magazine, 24 Oct. 2026
Definition of smart
Adjective
  • Spiced Cream Cheese Bundt Cake Adding pumpkin spice to half the batter before putting the two components together creates a magnificent swirl pattern that your holiday guests will ooh and aah over when cutting into this gorgeous cake.
    — Mary Shannon Wells, Southern Living, 25 Oct. 2026
  • In contrast to the gorgeous monochrome visuals, this is a land that stinks of complicity and delusion — of opportunists desperate to scramble onto the right side of history.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 23 Oct. 2026
Definition of gorgeous
Adjective
  • The rash can be more subtle on darker skin tones, but a bumpy or textured feel is often present.
    — Sara Tenenbaum, CBS News, 21 Oct. 2026
  • The last major change was the iPhone X, which dropped the home button almost a decade ago, and even that was a fairly subtle improvement.
    — Nilay Patel, The Verge, 21 Oct. 2026
Definition of subtle

Browse Nearby Words

cut (down)
cute
cuteness
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cute.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/cute. Accessed 28 Oct. 2026.

Copy Citation
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of grotesque

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

Merriam-Webster’s Great Big List of Words You Love to Hate

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Why do we 'bury the lede?'

'Za' and 9 Other Words to Help You Win at SCRABBLE
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use 'Who' vs. 'Whom'

The Longest Long Words List

9 Words That Sound Like Insults But Aren't
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
different halloween monsters in silhouette
A Monstrous Vocab Quiz Words That Go Bump in the Night
See All