Meaning & use
absolutely adorable
Last updated
Meanings
phrasefixed phrase
Extremely cute or lovable; used to show strong warm approval of a person, animal, or thing.
Grammar: Acts as an adjective phrase: it goes before a noun or after a linking verb like be or look.
Patterns
- be absolutely adorable
- look absolutely adorable
- an absolutely adorable baby
- absolutely adorable in something
Their new puppy is absolutely adorable, with those huge paws and floppy ears.
She wore a tiny yellow raincoat and looked absolutely adorable.
The children made absolutely adorable cards for their teacher's birthday.
phrasefixed phraseinformal
Used to describe something small and pretty in a way that makes people smile.
Grammar: Here it describes objects or outfits rather than people; still follows be or a noun.
Patterns
- something is absolutely adorable
- find something absolutely adorable
The little knitted booties she made are absolutely adorable.
I find those tiny ceramic houses absolutely adorable.
Common combinations
- absolutely adorable baby
- Everyone stopped to look at the absolutely adorable baby in the stroller.
- look absolutely adorable
- You look absolutely adorable in that hat.
- absolutely adorable puppy
- The shelter posted a photo of an absolutely adorable puppy.
- absolutely adorable together
- Those two kittens are absolutely adorable together.
Synonyms and how they differ
- super cute
- More casual and common in speech; 'absolutely adorable' sounds a little warmer and more emphatic.
- endearing
- More formal and suggests a quality that wins affection over time, while 'absolutely adorable' is immediate and playful.
- sweet
- Softer and less intense; it can also describe kind behavior, which 'absolutely adorable' does not.
Opposites
Word family
- adorably adverb
- In a cute or lovable way: 'She giggled adorably.'
- adorableness noun
- The quality of being cute or lovable: 'the adorableness of the puppies.'
- adore verb
- To love someone or something very much.
Commonly confused: absolutely adorable or absolutely adorable vs. adorable?
absolutely adorable vs absolutely adorable vs. adorable
'Adorable' alone just means cute; adding 'absolutely' makes the praise much stronger, like 'completely' or 'totally'.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'absolutely adorable' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Absolutely adorable' works as an adjective phrase after the linking verb 'is'. Option 1 has the wrong word order, option 2 puts the adverb at the end where it sounds unnatural, and option 3 splits the phrase and misplaces 'absolutely' before the noun.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “absolutely adorable”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.