One of the best terms of endearment or compliments you can use with a guy is cute.
While some may think it’s too soft, that isn’t the case.
Guys can be just as cute and adorable as girls.
Besides breaking down the foundations of toxic masculinity, there are a ton of reasons you should call guys cute.
At the forefront is the simple fact that they like it.
Here are 10 reasons that guys like it when someone calls them cute.
Do Guys Like Being Called Cute? (10 Reasons They Do)
1. Makes Them Feel Soft
One of the reasons guys like it when people call them cute is that it makes them feel soft.
In a society that expects its men to be tough and feel nothing, receiving that sort of compliment gives them the opportunity to drop their barriers and just feel.
It’s also not a common compliment since cute usually implies that they said or did something adorable.
The compliments men typically receive are physical in nature.
The fact that someone recognizes them beyond their physicality can make them feel softer and warmer towards the individual.
That feeling can come as a relief when they’ve lived most of their life bottling their feelings up.
2. Encourages Closeness
Because receiving a compliment that they’re cute is rare, when someone tells a guy that they’re cute, then it makes them feel closer to that individual.
They believe that the individual sees them in a way that others don’t.
Romantic partners who call their boyfriends cute can make them feel closer to you.
3. Reduces Shame
Society tells men that they can’t be cute.
It tells them that being cute is strictly for girls.
Because of that, a lot of guys feel some shame when they’re doing something that they perceive as cute.
However, a guy likes it when someone calls them cute because it helps to reduce the shame that they’re feeling.
By calling someone cute, you’re basically encouraging the type of behavior that they’re doing that garnered that response out of you in the first place.
It’s praise, and the brain always wants more of it.
By not making fun of the guy for doing something cute and making it a positive experience instead, you can reduce their shame.
This can go on to help them build their self-esteem and feel surer about themselves.
You can change how a guy perceives himself by calling him cute.
A guy likes when someone calls him cute because it helps reduce the shame he feels about being cute.
4. Makes Them Feel Loved
Compliments can be difficult in a relationship because when you say them too often, they start to lose their impact.
However, when you call a guy cute, it’s usually new and unexpected.
Because of that, it can make them feel loved.
Telling a guy that they’re cute forces them to become vulnerable with you to some degree.
It tells them that some part of their behavior is more adorable than standard tough-guy behavior.
Being cute or doing something cute tends to be more emotionally charged than sexually charged.
As a result, when that behavior receives praise through a compliment, they feel loved by that individual.
The individual is choosing not to tease them or put them down for what they’re doing or who they are.
Instead, they’re embracing them and loving them for who they are.
Guys like it when people call them cute because it makes them feel loved.
5. Boosts Their Confidence
When someone calls a guy cute, it’s practically the same as someone calling them handsome.
It makes them feel great about themselves.
You can call a guy several things, but telling them that they’re cute doesn’t happen as often as it should.
Because of that, they may feel awkward about doing some sort of behavior or feeling some sort of way.
When someone does call them cute because of their hobby or because of a certain behavior or just because they find them cute, it can do wonders for their self-esteem.
Receiving that type of compliment changes how they view themselves.
Instead of feeling awkward about something that makes them cute, they can feel proud about it.
Guys like it when someone calls them cute because it boosts their confidence and self-esteem.
6. Improves Their Mood
Compliments are a great way to improve someone’s mood.
Whether you missed your morning coffee, stepped on a Lego, or just woke up in a bad mood, it can completely ruin your day.
Anything that goes wrong becomes ten times worse.
A single compliment from someone you care about, though, can completely turn the day on its head.
Being called cute is one of the ways that you can improve a guy’s mood.
That’s because it’s usually an uncommon compliment.
It takes them by surprise and makes them feel the force of the compliment rather than chalking it up to just someone else sexualizing them.
Since the compliment releases endorphins in the brain, it’s an instant mood improver.
You can completely change a guy’s day when you call them cute.
Guys like it when someone calls them cute because it improves their mood—if not their entire day.
7. Makes Them Feel Special
It’s easy to compliment someone because of the way they look.
Physical compliments tend to hit on the surface.
Using a compliment that’s based on emotion, however, hits a little deeper.
When you call a guy cute, it makes them feel special.
That’s because they believe that you’re seeing them in a way that no one else does.
Almost anyone can receive compliments about being handsome, sexy, or having nice eyes, but not everyone receives a compliment about being cute.
That’s because being cute is very specific to the individual and the activity or behavior that they’re doing.
The guy may not even think that what they’re doing or the way in which they’re behaving is cute.
If someone else thinks it’s cute, then it makes them feel special.
They’re seen in a way that they don’t even recognize in themselves.
Feeling special is a great feeling.
It makes you feel as though you stand out instead of simply being another human in the world.
It makes them feel as though they matter to that person.
Guys like it when someone calls them cute because it makes them feel special.
8. It’s A Romantic And Platonic Compliment
Another reason that guys like it, when they’re called cute, is because it can be used in either a romantic or platonic setting.
While the word cute tends to be emotionally charged, that doesn’t always mean the emotion behind it is romantic.
It can be as just as loving in a platonic sense, too.
Friends can recognize it when the other is doing something or being cute.
Calling it out is a great way to make your friend group feel closer.
It also helps you support one another and create a safe place between you all.
Telling a friend that they’re cute or that they’re doing something cute can make the friend group feel comfortable sharing parts of themselves with one another.
Guys like it when someone calls them cute because it doesn’t always have to be from a romantic partner.
They feel just as good when a friend tells them they’re cute.
9. Informal
Some guys prefer cute over other types of compliments because it’s more informal.
Being called handsome, for example, is a bit formal to some guys.
It’s something that’s reserved for strangers or for intimate relationships that have been going steady for some time.
Whether they’re in the early stages of a relationship or still just flirting, cute is an ideal compliment.
It doesn’t put too much pressure on either party while they’re still figuring out if they’re compatible.
However, it’s a strong enough compliment to make them feel good about themselves and to appreciate the person who gave the compliment.
Guys like it when someone calls them cute because it’s informal and doesn’t put a lot of pressure on them in the situation.
10. Makes Them Feel Younger
Some men like it when someone calls them cute because it makes them feel younger.
In certain contexts, having someone call you cute can make you feel childish and not in a negative sense.
Instead, it recognizes the child that still lives in your heart and encourages you to embrace that sort of childish wonder and joy that you used to have.
When someone calls you cute, it gives you a chance to feel like a kid or a teenager again.
For some guys, this is a wonderful feeling.
It’s a moment where they can enjoy some escapism from the struggles of adult life.
Guys like it when someone calls them cute because it makes them feel younger or like a kid again—even if only briefly.
Why Do Some Guys Not Like Being Called Cute?
Although many guys do enjoy it when someone calls them cute, it isn’t universal.
Here are a few reasons some guys may not like it when someone calls them cute.
1. Friendzoned
One of the main reasons guys don’t like it when someone calls them cute is that they think they’re sliding into the dreaded friendzone.
This occurs when they have a crush or romantic feelings towards someone, bu
t it’s clear that the particular someone doesn’t return those feelings.
As a result, they use certain compliments that are acceptable in a platonic sense.
Cute is one of those words.
When the individual calls them cute, then they’re basically saying that they’re adorable like a pet or sibling is adorable.
They’d prefer to hear the person say that they’re handsome, sexy, or a hunk.
This implies that they find them attractive.
Cute doesn’t mean that they find them attractive.
Guys don’t like it when their crush uses cute with them because it makes them feel as though they’re being firmly put in the friend category.
2. Small
Another reason that guys don’t like it when someone calls them cute is that it makes them feel small.
Unfortunately, the word can sometimes sound condescending.
Saying that someone is cute can sometimes mean that they’re adorable for trying, but they don’t quite meet the mark.
This can make the individual feel small since they believe that they’re not considering their full attributes and abilities.
It’s even worse when someone calls a particular body part of theirs cute.
No one wants to hear that their biceps are cute, for example.
They want their partner to call them sexy, strong, or big.
In certain situations, a guy can feel small when he’s called cute.
3. Silly
One of the most effective ways to make someone question themselves is to make them feel silly.
Calling someone cute can sometimes make them feel silly in a negative way.
In some situations, an individual might call a guy cute as a way to undermine his behaviors, thoughts, or actions.
It makes them seem unimportant and feel silly that they even have an opinion or enjoy a particular hobby.
It’s a way to ostracize the guy from the conversation or the current social group.
Some guys don’t like it when people call them cute because it makes them feel as though they’re silly or in the wrong.
4. Not Masculine
A final reason some guys don’t like it when someone calls them cute is that it makes them feel not masculine.
When used in certain situations, the word cute can suggest that a guy is soft or feminine.
Some guys may not have the self-confidence to be able to handle that association well.
They may prefer to feel and look masculine at all times.
Being called cute undermines that feeling.
It suggests that they’re soft when they want to be edgy or rugged.
They may have certain stereotypes of men in mind that they want to emulate.
When someone calls them cute, it reminds them that they haven’t succeeded in that goal yet.
As a result, they resent themselves and likely also resent the person for reminding them of their fragile masculinity.
Some guys don’t like it when someone calls them cute because it calls their masculinity into question.
How To Tell If A Guy Likes It When Someone Calls Them Cute
Whether you have just started dating someone new or you’re still in the early stages of your relationship, you may unsure if you should call your crush or partner cute.
The last thing you want to do is send them the wrong message or make them feel uncomfortable.
Here are a few things you can do to tell if a guy likes it when someone calls them cute.
1. Call Them Adorable First
An advanced way to call someone cute is to call them adorable.
It’s a step above cute because it has a slightly deeper feeling to it.
If they react well to that word, then they’ll also likely react well to you calling them cute, too.
Testing the waters beforehand is always a good idea before plunging in.
2. Establish Your Feelings
One of the reasons guys are sometimes prickly when it comes to telling them they’re cute is that it makes them unsure of how you perceive them.
It can incorrectly tell them that you see them as a friend rather than as a romantic or sexual partner.
Before you call them cute, it’s a good idea to first ensure that they know how you feel about them.
Try using a few compliments first that indicate your romantic and sexual interest in them.
Only once you’re sure that they feel certain about how you feel about them can you start calling them cute.
3. Ask Them
As with anything new in your relationship that might cause discomfort, it’s also a great idea to simply ask them how they feel about it.
Once you’re both comfortable with each other, sit down with them and ask them if they feel a particular way about you calling them cute.
In most cases, they’ll likely be fine with it under certain circumstances.
Yet you may also discover that he doesn’t like it because of a poor association with the word earlier in his life.
Being able to speak with your partner and understand their boundaries can set you up for a successful relationship.
Conclusion
Many guys enjoy it when someone calls them cute because it makes them feel a certain positive way about themselves.
However, some men do dislike the word.
You can use the steps above to help you determine whether your crush or partner enjoys the compliment.
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Fel says
I can certainly agree.. Being called cute feels great when it’s not condescending and you best believe we’ll remember it if you had good timing 😊
Thanks William