Question:

<span title="Cute/Pretty/Handsome/Beautiful/s**y/Hot/Gorgeous?">Cute/Pretty/Handsome/Beau...</span>

by | earlier

What, to you, are the different connotations of each of these words? Is there one you'd rather be called? Do you consider any of them negative?

How about gender-- do they all have different meanings if applied to a different gender? Is "cute" cute regardless of if it's directed toward a man or a woman?

Also, how does age relate to what you'd call someone/want to be called?

Tags:

Report

Answer The Question I've Same Question Too

Follow Question

13 ANSWERS

Sort By: Date | Rating

Can I be called cute...please? I like the innocent and youthful look. I call guys cute and my favorite men are cute rather than handsome. There is nothing negative about being cute in my opinion. I can still be intelligent and interesting and I'll not be mistaken for an idiot! I like pretty as well but beautiful is a tad extreme. Beautiful has a negative connotation because it implies that one person is better looking that others.(Which is the truth. It just isn't nice though). I associate cute with kittens and a youthful outlook on life.

Cute: Young and adorable.

Hot: No thank you. I am not a temperature. It's used more by teenagers when they see girls in skimpy clothling. It's used loosely.

Beautiful: It's a nice adjective.

s**y: I don't want to be viewed as a sexual object. It's okay for other people but I'd rather not be seen as s**y.

Gorgeous: Wow that would be a great compliment. It's the best one but it is rare.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
-Cute: Someone with a baby face

-Pretty: Someone who is your average good-looking person

-Handsome: A man who is unique, but good-looking

-Beautiful: A woman with is unique, but good-looking

-Gorgeous: Someone who is a classic beauty

-Hot: Some one who appeals to about everyone of the opposite s*x

-s**y: Someone who is physically fit with a good-looking face

I think that most of these can be fine when said throughout someone's life except: Hot and s**y. These two are fading attractiveness.

I would much rather be BEAUTIFUL, but I wouldn't feel bad if I was called any of these words.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
Cute/Pretty/Handsome/Beautiful ...

... Yep, you've got me described to a T. Great question.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
"Cute" is the same as "Beautiful" but in a casual, natural sort of way. BTW all of the terms CAN be used of both genders: I do so and encourage others to do so because I think it is a big mistake to let the men have that "macho" thing where they are so uptight and have seperate words and everything. "Cute" is something I only apply to the young...I am now middle-aged and I honestly do not think of people my age (however attractive) as "cute". Cute goes with puppies and people who are puppy-like cute...like young and carefree and flawless but not in the stiff, formal kind of way that "beautiful" would be. Cute people do have to be beautiful as well as young but cute people are playful and casual; whereas, truly "beautiful" people are very serious and poised like Grace Kelly. Grace Kelly COULD have been "cute" if she had been casual and down-to-earth but she was always regal and poised like a princess even before she was really one. So cute people and beautiful people are the same people as far as "hardware" is concerned but different people as far as software is concerned... Now some people MY age can be "beautiful" even though they are not (technically) absolutely perfect looking anymore because they have wonderful features...like an older Katherine Hepburn or like George Clooney or McSteamy may have grey hairs yet have such great faces that age well...I guess that formerly "cute" people who have aged well pass into "beautiful" finally (inasmuch as they are beautiful for their age), as they are no longer puppyish enough to be called cute, if they still have terrific features. Handsome for a female is usually statuesque like Jill Eickenberry (from the movie "Arthur" around 1981) like a giant Norse goddess...or a tall statuesque Italian woman with a wonderful Roman nose may not be petite enough for cute or pretty--although she may be pretty--still she is striking and attractive and may be called "handsome". Handsome for a man is similar: he may not have the smallest cute "little boy" nose (like Johnny Carson or George Clooney) but is attractive and striking (Kevin Costner);whereas, a man who is "pretty" (pretty much same as for a girl) is usually petite and delicate. I do not consider any of these as "negative". And, as far as age relating to what we like to be called, I think that people of your OWN AGE can sometimes carry these terms within our own age group...so I might not believe it from a man of twenty and if he calls me "cute" I'll feel like a cougar, but if a man is my own age or older he can call me cute and even though I won't really believe him in a literal sense because I know I am no longer cute, I might believe it coming from him, that HE finds me so. So context...And, I might add, if someone is in love with you, even if you know you're really not beautiful, generally they will SEE you as beautiful if they're really looking with the eyes of love.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
I'm sometimes called cute and I'm not all that keen on it.

I prefer it when they call me handsome, or a rogue or a b*****d lol.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
Don't see anything negative with being physically complimented, have been called pretty before...

But it's much nicer and I appreciate it more if someone compliments me on my personality, sense of humour or the ability to think laterally. Someone called me smart once and I was chuffed, lol.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
They're all positive. Handsome/beautiful (and pretty) tend to be used for men/women, respectively, although I have heard of handsome women when referring to older ladies. I don't hear "pretty" in the context of men, but the word "beautiful" can be used for either: I often describe men as beautiful, but generally not to their faces. I would say Johnny Depp is beautiful because he is, and so is Angelina Jolie (in my opinion). As for hot--well, there are certain people that just exude heat and raw sexual energy--like Johnny Depp again. If I describe someone as smoking hot, it's more of a sexual thing than an aesthetic thing (which are not mutually exclusive, of course). Gorgeous I don't use so often, but would normally apply it more to women or art or other things that are appealing to the senses. I think most of the adjectives you note can be applied by either gender to either gender, and I'm sure most of them have very personal connotations that can go beyond describing people into describing things that are visually attractive. None of the words have an age component--cuteness applies to old people, teenagers, babies, women, men...it all depends. I don't have a preference in terms of what to be called, and it makes no difference to me, although I'd be rather squeamish if I were called "handsome" as I have a definite sense of what that means in my own mind. People often attribute "cuteness" to me, but I think that has more to do with how I do something than how I appear. Smoking hot will do fine, thanks!
Report (0) (0) | earlier
This is a great question! Here's what I think of those words:

Cute - Depends on who's saying it, in what context, etc. It's fine if my husband or friend says "You look cute today" but if my boss or another coworker said "Well aren't you cute?" I might take offense, thinking they are being condescending.

Pretty - Can't really go wrong wtih pretty. It's a nice compliment and I can't think of any negative connotations, except that maybe a boy or man might take offense to being called so (and there are "pretty boys"!). It can be used to describe someone of any age.

Handsome - I feel the same way about this as I do "pretty" - and girls/women being called "handsome" may or may not take offense. Also can go for all ages.

Beautiful - I have always seen this word as an ultimate compliment. Usually reserved for incredibly attractive people.

Gorgeous - Same as "beautiful"

s**y/hot - These are synonymous to me. I feel the same way about these words as I do "cute." OK for someone I know to use towards me, but if I don't know you or I am at work, I feel these words should not be used to describe my appearance.

Hope my opinions help your research!
Report (0) (0) | earlier
some of these words are feminine and some are masculine.

for example, men are usually not "cute", but boys can be. mostly it's girls who are cute. women usually can't be cool, but men are pretty good at it.

you also can't say that a man is "pretty" or beautiful (unless it's a feminine looking guy), you must use a masculine word word like "handsome" or good-looking.

words like s**y and hot seem to be entirely gender neutral.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
Pretty tends to be more toward women while Handsome for men. I haven't heard cute as much as it used to be. More for children, kittens, puppies. Beautiful is for more than just physical appearance. Though Good Looking is quite gender neutral.

Rio and Food 4 thought - Better to be cute than called butt ugly or nothing at all.
Report (0) (0) | earlier
I have no idea what PEOPLE mean when they say this...usually I think 'What?' when people go on about others being this and that...me, I like to be thought of as COOL...you didn't list that...
Report (0) (0) | earlier
I'm fine with all of them except "cute." I've been called that all my life. It's the curse of being short with big eyes.

I don't think these words know any gender in particular; women have been called "handsome" throughout history, and men have been called "beautiful."
Report (0) (0) | earlier
The only one I wouldn't be comfortable with is handsome, because it's generally attributed to the male gender and I identify as a woman.

Rio - THANK YOU! I have the same curse. I'm glad someone finally understands me.
Report (0) (0) | earlier