Literary notes about Cherubic (AI summary)
"Literary authors employ 'cherubic' to evoke the gentle, often angelic charm associated with youthful features—round faces, soft eyes, and innocent smiles—as seen when a character’s face is described as bursting with childlike curiosity [1] or exuding sweetness [2]. The term frequently underscores a striking visual contrast, whether applied straightforwardly to depict an unblemished, almost otherworldly quality in a cherubic child’s appearance [3, 4] or used more ironically to highlight dissonance between an ostensibly innocent facade and a character's complex nature [5, 6]. Its versatility even extends beyond human descriptions, lending a whimsical or delicate touch to inanimate objects, as illustrated by references to cherubic details on everyday items or architectural elements [7, 8]."
- Madame Coralie gave her a warning glance, as Eddy's cherubic face was alive with curiosity.
— from The Pink Shop by Fergus Hume - Mr. Allonby now smiled with cherubic sweetness.
— from Gallantry: Dizain des Fetes Galantes by James Branch Cabell - " The children, attracted by the voice of a stranger, had run in and stood one on either side of their mother staring at him shyly with cherubic eyes.
— from The Undercurrent by Robert Grant - I saw her first when she was three years old—a cherubic little being, lovely to look upon and possessing unusual qualities for so young a child.
— from The Millionaire Baby by Anna Katharine Green - “And that's none so far off,” snarled Mr. Green, who since the peppering of his eyes, had flung aside his usual cherubic air.
— from The Lion's Skin by Rafael Sabatini - He hasn't changed: cherubic, lecherous, bald, and clad in fading dungarees and Sellotaped, stapled sandals.
— from The Capgras Shift by Samuel Vaknin - The cherubic pocket-knife, with the first bit of the loaf still on its point, lay beside them where it had been hastily thrown down.
— from Our Mutual Friend by Charles Dickens - A shell-shaped canopy, richly carved, and supported by cherubic brackets, sheltered the tall doorway.
— from The Infidel: A Story of the Great Revival by M. E. (Mary Elizabeth) Braddon
