cute
/kjuːt/ (bre, ipa) · /kjuːt/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkyüt/ (ame, mw)
cute — adjective
1. having a pleasant and appealing quality that is often linked to being small, you
having a pleasant and appealing quality that is often linked to being small, young, or delicate — for example, a baby's round cheeks, a tiny puppy, or a child's toy.
The kitten was so cute that Kemi could not stop smiling at it.
so + adjective + that + clause for expressing degree
Hao bought a small stuffed panda because he thought it looked cute on his desk.
Dewi painted tiny flowers on her notebook and her classmates said they were cute.
The café served coffee in cups shaped like little cats, which customers found very cute.
Esme found a baby rabbit in the garden and thought its tiny ears looked cute.
- ugly
opposite in terms of physical appeal
- unattractive
neutral opposite without the 'small/delicate' nuance
文法句型
be + cute
cute + noun
用法筆記
Commonly used for babies, young animals, and small objects. Can be used for adults, but may sound childish or condescending depending on context.
常見錯誤
2. behaving in a way that is meant to seem clever or gain an advantage, but which c
behaving in a way that is meant to seem clever or gain an advantage, but which comes across as rude, irritating, or dishonest to others.
Hamza tried to be cute by handing in the same essay with a different title.
try + to be cute + by + gerund
The taxi driver got cute with the route and charged Nora twice the normal fare.
get + cute + with + object
Vinícius kept making cute remarks at the meeting, so his manager told him to stop.
Stop being cute and tell us where you hid the remote control.
Vivek thought his excuse was clever, but his teacher found it cute and rather annoying.
- smart-alecky
more informal and strongly negative; describes a person who is irritatingly clever
- sly
focuses on dishonesty rather than playful cleverness
- smug
describes the attitude of self-satisfaction, not the act of being clever
- straightforward
opposite in being direct rather than cleverly evasive
- sincere
opposite in being genuine rather than manipulative
文法句型
be + cute
try + to be cute
get + cute + with + noun phrase
用法筆記
Almost always negative in tone. Common in informal spoken contexts when accusing someone of being dishonest or manipulative in a supposedly playful way. 'Don't get cute with me' is a fixed phrase meaning 'do not try to trick me.'
常見錯誤
cute — noun
1. a style of speaking, behaving, or performing that is deliberately charming or pl
a style of speaking, behaving, or performing that is deliberately charming or playful, but which others find silly, childish, or irritating.
The audience grew tired of the singer's cuteness and wished she would perform more seriously.
possessive + cuteness for a person's affected style
Some critics dismissed the film as nothing more than cheap cuteness meant to sell tickets.
cheap + cuteness for inauthentic charm
Matthew could not stand the constant cuteness of the TV host's voice during every show.
The actor's on-stage cuteness got old quickly and the viewers stopped laughing.
- sweetness
less negative; can be genuine or sarcastic depending on context
- saccharine quality
more formal; describes something overly sweet to the point of being unpleasant
文法句型
the + cuteness + of + noun phrase
someone's + cuteness
a lot of + cuteness
用法筆記
Unlike the adjective senses, the noun form almost always carries a negative judgment. It is used to criticize performances, public behaviour, or media content that relies too heavily on a sweet or playful style.