quite
- 01 A2 Elementary
adv.totally or completely. You use this with words that already mean 'finished' or 'perfect' to show there is no doubt.
adv.functioning as a maximizer to indicate totality or absolute degree, often used with non-gradable adjectives.
Simple“I am quite sure that I locked the front door before we left.”
In context“The two situations are quite different, and it would be a mistake to apply the same policy to both without further analysis.”
UsageOften pairs with non-gradable adjectives like 'sure', 'right', 'wrong', 'true', or 'finished'.
- 02 B1 Intermediate
adv.very much or to a great extent. This is common in American English to add strength to a word.
adv.used as an intensifier to emphasize a large degree or significant amount.
Simple“The new restaurant in town is actually quite good.”
In context“The results of the study were quite remarkable, exceeding even the most optimistic projections of the research team.”
Teacher's tipIn American English, 'quite' almost always strengthens the adjective, whereas in British English it often weakens it.
SynonymsAntonyms - 03 C1 Advanced
interj.a way to say you agree with what someone just said.
interj.used as a standalone particle to express agreement or to acknowledge the truth of a statement.
Simple“‘It’s a very difficult situation.’ ‘Quite.’”
In context“‘The proposed changes seem entirely unnecessary given the current climate.’ ‘Quite; I couldn't agree more.’”
Usage quite common · quite likely · quite limit
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).
From Spanish quite.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.