quiet

English Online Dictionary. What means quiet‎? What does quiet mean?

English

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 and quietus.

Pronunciation

• enPR: kwī'ĭt, IPA^(key): /ˈkwaɪ.ɪt/
• (weak vowel merger) enPR: kwī'ət, IPA^(key): /ˈkwaɪ.ət/
• Rhymes: -aɪət

Adjective

quiet (comparative quieter or more quiet, superlative quietest or most quiet)

1. With little or no sound; free of disturbing noise.

2. Having little motion or activity; calm.

3. Not busy, of low quantity.
4. Not talking much or not talking loudly; reserved.

5. Not showy; undemonstrative.

6. (software) Requiring little or no interaction.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:quiet.

Synonyms

• (with little sound): See also Thesaurus:silent
• (having little motion): See also Thesaurus:calm
• (not busy): slow, unbusy
• (not talking): See also Thesaurus:taciturn
• (not showy): modest, plain, simple

Antonyms

• loud
• sounded
• vocal

Derived terms

Translations

Verb

quiet (third-person singular simple present quiets, present participle quieting, simple past and past participle quieted)

1. (transitive) To cause (someone or something) to become quiet.

   Synonyms: quiet down, quieten
2. (intransitive) To become quiet or calm.

   Synonyms: quiet down, quieten

Translations

Noun

quiet (plural quiets)

1. The absence of sound; quietness.

2. The absence of movement; stillness, tranquility.
3. The absence of disturbance or trouble; peace, security.

Translations

Interjection

quiet

1. Be quiet.

Related terms

Further reading

• “quiet”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
• “quiet”, in The Century Dictionary […], New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
• “quiet”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
• Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “quiet”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.

Anagrams

• quite

Catalan

Etymology

First attested in 1490.. Borrowed from Latin quiētus; compare also the Old Catalan form quet, queda, which was likely inherited.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (Central, Balearic, Valencian) [kiˈet]

Adjective

quiet (feminine quieta, masculine plural quiets, feminine plural quietes)

1. calm, stopped
2. quiet

Synonyms

• aturat
• detingut

Related terms

• quedar

Copallén

Noun

quiet

1. water

References

• Willem F. H. Adelaar, The Languages of the Andes

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin quiētus, from quiēs (“rest”). Doublet of coi, which was inherited, and quitte, another borrowing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kjɛ/

Adjective

quiet (feminine quiète, masculine plural quiets, feminine plural quiètes)

1. (rare, literary) tranquil, peaceful, placid

Usage notes

Its antonym inquiet is much more common.

Synonyms

• See calme

Related terms

• quiétude

Further reading

• “quiet”, in Trésor de la langue française informatisé [Digitized Treasury of the French Language], 2012.

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin quiētus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [ˈkjet]

Adjective

quiet m (feminine singular quieta, masculine plural quiets, feminine plural quietas)

1. calm, stopped
2. quiet

Synonyms

• suau
• tranquil