Cute is a demeaning way to describe a woman who is approachable and endearing. Unlike small children, fluffy toys and puppies, professional women rarely appreciate being called cute. Cute implies that someone is adorable and sweet—qualities that people associate with women due to society’s ingrained expectation of how women should look and act.
Her male colleaguecalled her ‘so cute’ and she reflected on how he would react if she had called him that.