Word
quite
/ˈkwaɪt/
Adverb of degree
Definitions
01fairly or rather
A1 · Beginner
adv. to a moderate degree; more than a little but not very much.
adv. to a moderate extent or degree. In British English, this sense is usually weaker than 'very', whereas in American English, it often leans closer to 'very'.
日本語:かなり※
“The exam was quite difficult, but I think I passed it.”
“The results were quite impressive considering the limited budget the team had to work with during the initial phase.”
Pitfall
It was a quite cold day.
It was quite a cold day.
When using 'quite' with a noun phrase, it must come before the article 'a' or 'an'.
02completely or entirely
A2 · Elementary
adv. totally or completely — you use this with words that cannot be 'a little bit', like 'right' or 'finished'.
adv. to the greatest extent or degree; completely. Used with non-gradable adjectives such as 'sure', 'finished', or 'right'.
“Are you quite sure you locked the front door before we left?”
“The two proposals are quite different in their approach to urban sustainability, making a direct comparison difficult for the board.”
Usage
When paired with non-gradable adjectives, the meaning shifts from 'fairly' to 'completely'.
Synonyms
03agreeing with someone
B2 · Upper Intermediate British English · Formal
interj. a way to say you agree completely with what someone just said.
interj. used to express full agreement with a previous statement. Often functions as a standalone response in formal or polite conversation.
“"It's a very complicated situation." "Quite."”
“"The policy changes seem to have caused more confusion than they resolved." "Quite; the implementation was remarkably poor."”
Teaching tip
This is much more common in British English than American English; Americans would more likely say 'Exactly' or 'Right'.
Synonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “quite” in context.
Etymology
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.
Idioms
01. not quite
02. quite a bit
Grammar
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.A1 MoversIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.2.0–3.0TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 1.0–1.50–23TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.120–224
- Frequency
- Very common
- Level
- A1 · BeginnerOxford
- Updated
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englishreference.com/q/quite
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「日本語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0