Word
quiet
Phoneticsqui·et
US/ˈkwaɪət/
UK/kwˈaɪət/
Definitions
01little or no sound
adj. making very little noise or no noise at all.
adj. characterised by an absence of sound or disturbing noise.
“The library was very quiet while the students were studying for their exams.”
“The electric vehicle moved with a quiet hum that was barely audible above the rustle of the wind through the trees.”
02calm and peaceful
adj. having little activity or movement; peaceful.
adj. characterised by a lack of activity, disturbance, or excitement.
“We spent a quiet afternoon reading in the garden.”
“After the holiday rush, the village returned to its quiet routine, with few tourists remaining in the local inns.”
03not talkative
adj. describing a person who does not talk very much.
adj. tending to speak little or in a soft voice; reserved in temperament.
“He is a quiet man who prefers listening to others.”
“Although she was quiet in large meetings, her written reports were exceptionally detailed and persuasive.”
04silence or peace
n. a state of silence or a time without any trouble or noise.
n. the state of being silent or free from disturbance.
“I enjoy the peace and quiet of the countryside on the weekends.”
“The sudden quiet that followed the explosion was more unsettling than the noise itself.”
Synonyms
05to become or make calm
v. to make someone stop making noise or to become silent yourself.
v. to cause to become silent or calm; to subside in intensity.
“The teacher waited for the children to quiet down before starting the lesson.”
“The protests began to quiet as the government promised to review the controversial legislation.”
Usage
Often used with the particle 'down'.
Antonyms
Etymology
From Middle English quiete, from Old French quiet (adjective) and quiete (noun), from Latin quiētus, past participle of quiēscere (“to keep quiet, rest”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“rest”). Doublet of coy, quit, quite, and quietus. Largely displaced native English still in the sense of "with little or no sound".
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Related words
Idioms
have a quiet word — To speak to someone in private.
keep quiet — To refrain from talking about something; to keep a secret.
quiet as a church mouse — Alternative form of quiet as a mouse.
quiet as a mouse — Very quiet, so as to not be heard.
quiet quit — To cease overachieving at one's workplace to focus on one's personal life; to do only what is reasonably or contractually required.
say the quiet part loud — To willingly express a sentiment that is normally considered embarrassing or disreputable to hold; to reveal an ulterior motive.
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/quiet