quite

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

English

Alternative forms

• quight (obsolete)

Etymology 1

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

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation, General American) enPR: kwīt, IPA^(key): /kwaɪt/
• Rhymes: -aɪt

Adverb

quite (not comparable)

1. To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.

   Synonyms: very, absolutely, fully, thoroughly, totally, utterly; see also Thesaurus:completely

   1. With verbs, especially past participles. [from 14th c.]
   2. With prepositional phrases and spatial adverbs. [from 15th c.]
   3. With predicative adjectives. [from 15th c.]
   4. With attributive adjectives, following an (especially indefinite) article; chiefly as expressing contrast, difference etc. [from 16th c.]
   5. Preceding nouns introduced by the indefinite article. Chiefly in negative constructions. [from 16th c.]
   6. With adverbs of manner. [from 17th c.]
2. In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually.
   1. Coming before the indefinite article and an attributive adjective. (Now largely merged with moderative senses, below.) [from 17th c.]
   2. With plain adjectives, past participles, and adverbs. [from 18th c.]
   3. Coming before the definite article and an attributive superlative. [from 18th c.]
   4. Before a noun preceded by an indefinite article; now often with ironic implications that the noun in question is particularly noteworthy or remarkable. [from 18th c.]
      • 1830, Senate debate, 15 April:

        To debauch the Indians with rum and cheat them of their land was quite a Government affair, and not at all criminal; but to use rum to cheat them of their peltry, was an abomination in the sight of the law.
   5. Before a noun preceded by the definite article. [from 18th c.]
   6. (now rare) With prepositional or adverbial phrases. [from 18th c.]
4. To a moderate extent or degree; somewhat, rather. [from 19th c.]

   Synonyms: see Thesaurus:moderately

Usage notes

• This is a non-descriptive qualifier, similar to fairly and rather and somewhat. Used where a plain adjective needs to be modified, but cannot be qualified. When spoken, the meaning can vary with the tone of voice and stress. He was quite big can mean anything from "not exactly small" to "almost huge".

Derived terms

Descendants

• Jersey Dutch: kwāit

Translations

Interjection

quite

1. (chiefly UK) Indicates agreement; exactly so.

Etymology 2

From Spanish quite.

Pronunciation

• (UK) IPA^(key): /ˈkiːteɪ/

Noun

quite (plural quites)

1. (bullfighting) A series of passes made with the cape to distract the bull.

Anagrams

• quiet

Galician

Verb

quite

1. inflection of quitar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Latin

Verb

quīte

1. second-person plural present active imperative of queō

Old French

Etymology

Learned borrowing from Latin quiētus (pronounced in Medieval Latin as quíetus > quitus). Compare the inherited coi.

Adjective

quite m (oblique and nominative feminine singular quite)

1. free, liberated

Descendants

• Middle French: quitte
  • French: quitte
• → Middle English: quit, quite
  • English: quit, quite
• → Old Galician-Portuguese: quite, quieto, quito, quita
  • Portuguese: quite

References

• Godefroy, Frédéric, Dictionnaire de l’ancienne langue française et de tous ses dialectes du IX^e au XV^e siècle (1881) (quitte, supplement)
• quite on the Anglo-Norman On-Line Hub

Old Galician-Portuguese

Alternative forms

• quieto, quito, quita

Etymology

Borrowed from Old French quite, borrowed from Latin quiētus, from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁-. Doublet of quedo.

Noun

quite m or f (plural quites)

1. quit (released from obligation)

Derived terms

Descendants

• Portuguese: quite

References

• Manuel Ferreiro (2014–2024) “quite”, in Universo Cantigas. Edición crítica da poesía medieval galego-portuguesa (in Galician), A Coruña: UDC, →ISSN
• Ernesto Xosé González Seoane, María Álvarez de la Granja, Ana Isabel Boullón Agrelo (2006–2022) “quite”, in Dicionario de Dicionarios do galego medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: Instituto da Lingua Galega
• Xavier Varela Barreiro, Xavier Gómez Guinovart (2006–2018) “quite”, in Corpus Xelmírez - Corpus lingüístico da Galicia medieval (in Galician), Santiago de Compostela: ILG

Portuguese

Pronunciation

• Rhymes: -it͡ʃi, -itɨ
• Homophone: kit
• Hyphenation: qui‧te

Etymology 1

From Old Galician-Portuguese quite, from Old French quitte (“free; liberated”), from Latin quiētus. Doublet of quieto and quedo.

Adjective

quite m or f (plural quites)

1. quit (released from obligation)
2. (usually in the plural) even; quits (on equal terms)

Related terms

Etymology 2

See the etymology of the corresponding lemma form.

Verb

quite

1. inflection of quitar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Spanish

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /ˈkite/ [ˈki.t̪e]
• Rhymes: -ite
• Syllabification: qui‧te

Etymology 1

Deverbal from quitar.

Noun

quite m (plural quites)

1. the action of removal
2. a swerve or sidestep

Derived terms

Etymology 2

Verb

quite

1. inflection of quitar:
   1. first/third-person singular present subjunctive
   2. third-person singular imperative

Further reading

• “quite”, in Diccionario de la lengua española [Dictionary of the Spanish Language] (in Spanish), online version 23.8, Royal Spanish Academy [Spanish: Real Academia Española], 2024 December 10