different between cute vs pulchritudinous

English

Etymology

Aphetic form of acute, originally “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.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kju?t/
• Rhymes: -u?t

Adjective

cute (comparative cuter, superlative cutest)

1. Possessing physical features, behaviors, personality traits or other properties that are mainly attributed to infants and small or cuddly animals; e.g. fair, dainty, round, and soft physical features, disproportionately large eyes and head, playfulness, fragility, helplessness, curiosity or shyness, innocence, affectionate behavior.

2. Generally, attractive or pleasing, especially in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way.

3. Sexually attractive or pleasing; gorgeous.
4. Affected or contrived to charm; mincingly clever; precious; cutesy.

5. Mentally keen or discerning (See also acute)

   Synonyms: clever, shrewd

   • ca. 1850. Anonymous, "Turpin Hero" (broadside ballad, probably originally dating to 18th century)

     Then Turpin being so very cute,

     He hid his money in his boot.

6. (especially mathematics) Evincing cleverness; surprising in its elegance or unconventionality (but of limited importance).

Usage notes

Though all the above usages are understood outside US & Canada, they are rarely used spontaneously except to characterise or parody American usage.

Synonyms

• (having features mainly attributed to infants and small or cuddly animals): endearing
• (attractive or pleasing in a youthful, dainty, quaint or fun-spirited way): pretty

Derived terms

Descendants

• ? Dutch: kjoet

Translations

Danish

Etymology

Borrowed from English cute.

Adjective

cute

1. (youthful) cute, adorable
   • 2010, Kirsten Sonne Harild, Pony & Co. 4 - Lises forvandling, Gyldendal A/S (?ISBN)

     „De er sådan lidt tegneserieagtige, ikke? Ligesom shetlændere. Cute.

   • 2010, Jesper Staunstrup, At være fremmed..., BoD – Books on Demand (?ISBN), page 187

     Dyret er altså bare ikke cute... Det er en stor rottelignende dræber, der er altædende.

2. (youthful) sweet, attractive (of a person, especially a prospective partner)
   • 2012, Hanne-Vibeke Holst, Hjertets renhed, Gyldendal A/S (?ISBN)

     Han er cute. Frederik var rimelig cute.

   • 2014, Ina Bruhn, Maja og Dancer: Hestene på Ponygården 3, Rosinante & Co (?ISBN)

     Han hedder Elvin. Er det ikke et totalt cute navn?

   • 2014, Dennis Jürgensen, Hår(d), Tellerup A/S (?ISBN)

     Hun var cute, det var hun faktisk, og jeg prøvede desperat ikke at tænke på min isse.

   • 2013, Anders Haahr Rasmussen, Modellen: #dayinthelife, Art People (?ISBN)

     Josephine Skriver har tidligere haft problemer med sit runde, cute ansigt og har det for så vidt stadigvæk.

Synonyms

• (adorable): nuttet, kær

Italian

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin cutis.

Noun

cute f (plural cuti)

1. (anatomy) Cutis, skin (of a person)

   Synonym: pelle

Derived terms

• cutaneo

Latin

Noun

cute

1. ablative singular of cutis

Middle English

Noun

cute

1. Alternative form of cote (“coot”)

Romanian

Etymology

From Latin c?tem, accusative of c?s. The expected result would have been *coate in Romanian, but may have been influenced by cu?it and ascu?i.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?ku.te/
• Rhymes: -ute
• Hyphenation: cu?te

Noun

cute f (plural cute)

1. whetstone

Synonyms

• gresie

References

English

Etymology

Latin pulchrit?d? (“pulchritude”) +? -ous, from pulcher (“beautiful”) + -t?d?.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /?p?lk???tju?d?n?s/

Adjective

pulchritudinous (comparative more pulchritudinous, superlative most pulchritudinous)

1. (literary) Having great physical beauty.
   • 1994, Orson Scott Card, The Ships of Earth [1]:

     But Shedemei had long since grown out of her adolescent jealousy of pulchritudinous girls.

   • 1966, Robert A. Heinlein, The Moon is a Harsh Mistress [2]:

     “The first example in each series,” Mike offered, “would be, on the basis of my associational analyses of such data, of such pulchritudinous value as to please any healthy, mature human male.”

   • 1998, Carole Nelson Douglas, Cat in a Flamingo Fedora [3]:

     “I had standing instructions to let any pulchritudinous females into Mr. Cooke’s dressing room,” Mike admitted.

     “Pulchritudinous? He really said that?”

     “No, I said that.”

Synonyms

• comely

Derived terms

• pulchritudinously

Related terms

• pulchritude

Translations