Adorable

/əˈdɔːrəbl/

adjectiveIntermediate🔥Very CommonEmotion
1 meaning2 idioms/phrases3 questions

Definitions

1

Extremely attractive or loveable, especially small children or animals.

/əˈdɔːrəbl/

adjectivepositiveIntermediate
Emotion

Of a person or animal, regarded as extremely attractive or loveable, especially a small child or animal.

The puppy was simply adorable.

💡 Simply: Very cute or loveable.

More Examples

2

Her smile was adorable and brought joy to everyone around her.

3

The tiny kittens were adorable.

How It's Used

Everyday

"The baby was so adorable that everyone laughed."

Literary

"The little kitten curled up on the windowsill, an adorable sight."

Cultural

"Adorable costumes are a huge part of this children's festival."

Idioms & expressions

adorableness

The quality or state of being adorable.

"The adorableness of the scene was hard to ignore."

adoringly

Showing or characterized by strong affection or admiration.

"He looked at her adoringly, as if she were a princess."

The word 'adorable' comes from the Latin 'adorabilis,' meaning 'worthy of adoration' or 'adorable,' which in turn stems from 'ad-' (to) and 'orare' (to pray or request). The word has been used in English since the late 17th century.

In the late 17th century, 'adorable' was primarily used to describe someone or something worthy of adoration. Over time, it evolved to mean loveable or extremely attractive, especially children and animals, as we understand it today.

Memory tip

A tiny dog or a baby could make this word come to mind, hence 'adorable'.

Word Origin

LanguageLatin
Original meaning

"Worthy of adoration or love"

adorable childadorable puppyadorable baby

Common misspellings

adorableeadorabuladrorable

Usage

80%Spoken
60%Written