What is the difference between pretty,cute, and beautiful?

[azrael the reaper_95210]

Jay Robyn

cute is more youthful, like little kids.
pretty is...kinda plain, I guess. to me, anyway.
beautiful is more breathtaking.

yeah, sounds about right. Cute is little kids. Pretty is a plain, common word for when you think someone looks good. But Beautiful is a much stronger word for when you really mean it.  

[BlackDragon495]

I can't really describe it but I use the words when I talk to girls for certain reason. such as:
Buetiful: Girlfriend
Pretty: Friend I have a crush on
Cutegood looking: just a friend
Hot: I don't know the girl and she looks good.  

[AquilaLiberum]

In my view, pretty is when you think someone's nice looking without finding them attractive. Cute is when you think someone's nice looking and are attracted to them because of it. Beautiful is when someone is so pretty that it inspires awe and deep feelings of desire/love.  

[NarcoticxDreams]

Being called beautiful makes you feel more special than the others.  

[meair]

I've always believed although necessary money is just paper, no matter what you do to prevent it, sometimes S... Happens!, what goes around comes around, and Beauty is only skin deep.
A lot of people use words like that as come on line or they're just shallow people. If someone says it to me I better be wearing a new outfit or something to prompt it and I would hope it would be the same people who tell me when I've walked in out of the rain that I look soaked. I mean I'm succure in my looks and I only want my close frinds commenting on my apperance good or bad. I guess I'm shy that way.  

[Esme Eames]

My Definitions:

Cute: It makes me think of more childlike features (not meaning they have to be childlike) and innocent

Pretty: is a step below beautiful to me

Beautiful: is the best one out of these three to me

Here's some definitions from the Google search engine to think about:

Beautiful: delighting the senses or exciting intellectual or emotional admiration;

Pretty: pleasing by delicacy or grace; not imposing;  

[Lus-cloud]

What annoys me most is when you look in a general dictionary, (Collins)

Cute means: Adorable, pretty, beautiful, etc etc.
And so you go look up that word, and its been replaced with the previous one. Beautiful is the only one that has a meaning: Some one of an Attractive nature.

My meanings are:

Cute: Like a little kid with a smile on their face.

Pretty: Those girls you always want to look like.

Beautiful: What you think you look like.  

[magic_doglover]

Hm. This is a nice coincidence. I've only recently been thinking about a system for the classification of beauty in human beings (for fun).

"Beautiful", to me, is kind of more elegant. It is a sort of classical, and maybe even serene kind of beauty.
"Cute", to me, as others have said in this thread, is more childish. It is an adorable kind of beauty, like when you think that a puppy is very cute.
"Pretty", to me, is a simple, uncomplicated beauty. It is beautiful, and that's that. No special associations to complicate it; the person in question is just plain pretty.

If I may, I would like to add the 4th kind of beauty that I can think of (although I wish there were a less annoying/culturally-charged word for it).

"Hot", to me, is a sharp, aggressive kind of beauty. Visually, it just pops out at you. Although the word has somewhat sexual connotations, it is possible for a person to have this kind of beauty without it being considered sexual.

All 4 types of beauty are equal, on a fundamental level. However, as with everything, people do have their preferences. Still, no one type is superior to any other. Most people have varying amounts of each type in their appearance, rather than having a solid block of only one type to make up the entirety of their beauty.  

[mothfurry]

On a scale of one to ten, cute is 5-6.5ish, and since 5 is average, it could be an empty compliment, mean your not his type but still nice looking, or anything else. Pretty is 6-8, it means he is definetly interested. Beautiful is 7 up, and is rarely used so be very happy if he says that. Hot is anywhere from 6.5 up, and it means your nice looking, but it has no pesonality factored in.  

[CresentMoon14]

I would hate it if someone called me pretty, ugh, unless it was someone I just made friends with or something. Pretty is like... a little girl in her new fairy dress... I just don't like it. But for like, unsure people, it's okay.
Beautiful is lovely, Like, Elegant or Graceful. I love it!
Cute is cute, I call my dogs and lil bro, but cute is okay ^_^.

 

[MadameEx]

I would much rather be called beautiful. I'm am a woman, being called cute feels degrading. That's what you did in elementary school and it's what your grandmother says to you. I don't want to be put on the same level as a little girl, I am a woman. I much prefer beautiful.

Pretty? Pretty is alright, but it's not as high up as beautiful. It what you say to a girl when she's asking you what you think of her. One of those high maintenance females that always want to know what you think about their looks, you generally say, "I think you're pretty." It makes people glow, sure but not as much as telling a girl that she is beautiful would make her glow.  

[Virtus Fierkin]

beauty is in the eye of the beholder  

[MindxHunter]

well i think pretty and beautiful are the same thing (Beautiful is overated if the guy finds like the perfect looking girl to him or whatever lol)

But pretty seems more womanish
and cute seems pretty in a kid way (I'm called cute ,cause i'm short silly and whatever but once i get in a dress and stuff,which people aren't use to seeing me in, i'm called pretty lol )  

[MindxHunter]

MadameEx

I would much rather be called beautiful. I'm am a woman, being called cute feels degrading. That's what you did in elementary school and it's what your grandmother says to you. I don't want to be put on the same level as a little girl, I am a woman. I much prefer beautiful.

Pretty? Pretty is alright, but it's not as high up as beautiful. It what you say to a girl when she's asking you what you think of her. One of those high maintenance females that always want to know what you think about their looks, you generally say, "I think you're pretty." It makes people glow, sure but not as much as telling a girl that she is beautiful would make her glow.

I'm ok with being called cute, just cause i'm a little younger than I look, but I can look my age whenever i really dress up (too much work for every morning haha) ,but it's funny when a guy calls you cute, and tries something and you end up beating him to the ground 3nodding  

[EclipseMoon]

Cute to me... Use it on people that have a kind of adorable-like look. Whether they be 5 years old or 20.

Pretty... It's not really a rate above cute for me. I'm agreeing with the guy on the first page. It feels like it's for those kind of girls that are always in the library(which isn't a bad thing) and don't realize they're pretty. There are other definitions of what I would call pretty.. But I haven't been out of my house long enough to take a good look. xD

Beautiful.. I rarely use it.. And if I do, it's to someone I really think IS beautiful. The more rarely you use it the more it means to them, eh? That being the case, most girls blush when I say it(even though I don't look so well) and in some cases you can make them blush(feel special) even when they never had before. I had a case like that at one point..

EDIT: There's also the word 'Gorgeous'.. Defined to "OMG, AMAZING!!!" which is what I'm thinking in my head. Beautiful is more of a calm kind of thing for me.. Like being dazed.

Anyway, keep the thread going! xP