Meaning of meet cute | Babel Free

Definitions

1. A situation in a film, television series, etc., in which a potential romantic couple meet for the first time in a way that is considered adorable, amusing, or cute.
   informal
2. Any such situation occurring in real life between a pair of people who are not yet acquainted, romantically or otherwise.
   broadly, informal

Examples

“If this is a distortion of reality, it is a knowingly utopian gesture, and the wit of such conceits lies in placing in tension the ideal with the real and so being more than a series of fancy ‘meet⟳ cutes’: […]”

“The hunt for love⟳ saturates Western culture. […] Romantic comedies have⟳ characters discover⟳ one another serendipitously, called "meet-cutes." The lead⟳ clumsily spills a drink⟳ on his future love⟳ interest⟳, setting off a chain of events to love⟳. Meet-cutes affirm the idea that possibility is all around us: love⟳ can happen⟳ anywhere, at anytime, and with anyone.”

“In some respects, it might be too faithful to the genre it savages; as in many real rom-coms, the energy flags during the plot’s backstretch, and audiences may share⟳ the drifting interest⟳ of Kyle (Bill Hader) and Karen (Ellie Kemper), who come⟳ to regret⟳ ever asking Joel and Molly to chronicle their meet-cute.”

“When Wade first crosses paths with Art3mis (Olivia Cooke), the ass-kicking fellow “gunter” (or egg hunter) with whom he becomes infatuated, the pair’s meet⟳ cute is predicated on the swapping of favorite pop-culture quotes.”

“Café Pick⟳ Me Up was a cosy little place⟳ with a low pressed-metal ceiling, crammed full of tiny tables, with French cafe chairs and mellow lighting. If you were to write⟳ a romcom featuring a meet⟳ cute, you’d set⟳ it there.”

“A short meet-cute dialogue ensues, detailing exactly how many hours of interviews [Steven] Levitt had agreed to (two), and exactly how much of his time [Stephen] Dubner actually ended up taking (three days).”

CEFR level