C1nounpsychologyarts
US/kjuː/
UK/kjuː/
a signal or hint that tells someone what to do or when to do it
In context
The actor waited for his cue before walking onto the stage.
Babies pick up social cues from the faces of their parents.
She took her cue from the others and stood up to clap.
Words that go with cue
verb + preposition
- take a cue fromCompanies often take a cue from their rivals.
verb + noun
- miss a cueThe young actor missed his cue and froze.
adjective + noun
- social cueSome people find social cues hard to read.
- visual cueA visual cue can help you remember the word.
- verbal cueThe coach gave a verbal cue to start the drill.
noun + noun
- cue cardHe read his speech from a cue card.
Common mistakes
Incorrect:
She waited for her queue to speak.Correct: She waited for her cue to speak.