Home UK English meet-cute

Meaning of meet-cute in English:

meet-cute

noun

informal mainly US

  • (in a film or television programme) an amusing or charming first encounter between two characters that leads to the development of a romantic relationship between them.

    • ‘it all started with a little meet-cute in a hospital elevator’

verbmet-cute

[no object] informal mainly US

  • (of two characters in a film or television programme) have an amusing or charming first encounter that leads to the development of a romantic relationship.

    • ‘she meets-cute with a handsome RAF flier’
    • ‘the couple met-cute at a puppetry class’

Origin

1940s (as verb): from meet + cute.