Why does everyone say cute

These features were called kindchenschema by ethologist Konrad Lorenz in What do we find cute? Other studies have shown that our brains want to give cute things extra attention over non-cute things.

So it makes sense that these characteristically cute features show up in marketing a lot, too. Cuteness often elicits a reaction that appears aggressive on its surface. It is expressed as clenched fists, bared teeth and the utterance of something like, "You're so cute I could eat you up! Oriana Aragon, a psychologist at Clemson University, has studied this cute aggression: the desire to bite, squeeze, or eat something because it's so cute.

It's common — in fact, there are phrases to describe this feeling in many different languages. One is the Tagalog word gigil ,which means the gritting of teeth and the urge to pinch or squeeze something that is unbearably cute. It's one of those excellent words that says in one what takes many to say in English. So even though you might say you might want to eat something cute, you're not actually feeling aggression — you're just expressing it.

This is called dimorphous expression — when you express something different than what you're feeling. Save Word. Essential Meaning of cute. Full Definition of cute Entry 1 of 2. Definition of cute Entry 2 of 2. Other Words from cute Adjective cutely adverb. The Unlikely Evolution of Cute Adjective Cute is a word whose meaning has gone has gone through a thorough historical transformation.

Examples of cute in a Sentence Adjective she's very nice, but she's not afraid to get cute when there's something she wants we're having a serious discussion here, so cut the cute remarks. First Known Use of cute Adjective circa , in the meaning defined at sense 1a Noun , in the meaning defined above. History and Etymology for cute Adjective and Noun short for acute. Learn More About cute. Time Traveler for cute The first known use of cute was circa See more words from the same year.

From the Editors at Merriam-Webster. Phrases Related to cute as cute as a button. Style: MLA. If someone or something is especially squee-worthy, you could take cute up a notch and proclaim it adorbs. Just know that if you have tween and teen children, they may cringe if they hear you use it. In some cases, we use cute to describe something or someone with old-fashioned charm when a better word might be quaint.

A quaint village think independent shops, cafes, and friendly people evokes a different image than a cute one—would that be a kitten-themed village? Evidence of the word can be found as far back as — It nearly rhymes with homely , but its meaning is quite the opposite.

The word has been around for a long time, first appearing in English before the year In Middle English it was cumli, which stemmed from the Old English word c? While you might call an outfit cute , calling an adult cute in many cases glosses over the fact that they are complex , compelling , and capable. While people may use cute to pin a label on someone or something, in some cases it can be insulting.

Women, particularly those who are petite, hear this word far too often. If you mean it as an insult, then own it and call the idea unacceptable or their work unsatisfactory.

Looking for more?