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quite

adv. degree
A1 Beginner Oxford US //ˈkwaɪt// quite Archaic General-service

adv. to a certain degree, but not completely. You use it to say something is 'pretty good' or 'fairly large' without being at the maximum level.

adv. to a moderate or considerable degree; fairly or rather. In British English, it can also mean 'completely' or 'entirely' when modifying non-gradable adjectives.


SIMPLE

The movie was quite good, but the book was better.

CONTEXTUAL

The walk to the station is quite long, so you should leave early to catch your train.

COMPLEX

While the initial results were quite promising, the researchers cautioned that further trials were necessary to confirm the long-term efficacy of the treatment.

Synonyms
Etymology 1

A development of quit, influence by Anglo-Norman quite. Doublet of coy, quit, quiet, and quietus. For an analogous semantic development from the same root, compare Armenian շատ (šat).

Etymology 2

From Spanish quite.

Usage

Typically placed before the adjective or adverb it modifies. In British English, when used with a noun phrase, it precedes the indefinite article ('quite a surprise').

Pitfall

a quite good dayquite a good dayWhen 'quite' modifies a noun phrase with an indefinite article, it must be placed before 'a' or 'an'.

Idioms2 entries

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