I.
variant of cuit
II. ˈkyüt, usu -üd.+V adjective
( -er/-est )
Etymology: short for acute (I)
1. : marked by acuteness and shrewdness : ingenious , clever , sharp
a most particular cute lawyer — T.C.Haliburton
the apprehension of the cute practical man — Francis Hackett
2. : attractive , pretty — a generalized expression of approval sometimes suggesting daintiness, fine features, deftness, or delicacy
a cute kid with pigtails bound in red ribbons — W.A.White
young, dark and small, with pretty features as regular as if they had been cut by a die. “He's cute ,” I said — Dashiell Hammett
a cute little bungalow
a cute wristwatch
3. : obviously straining for effect : mawkish through affected archness, prettiness, or contrivance : artificial , mannered
cute , self-conscious, and elaborate in its use of trick devices — C.M.Smith
a bad book, shallow, corny, and unmercifully cute — L.A.Fiedler
• cute·ly adverb
III. noun
Etymology: cute , adjective
: the quality or state of being cute or cutesy ; also : an instance of cuteness or cutesyness — usually used in plural
a movie suffering from a case of the cutes