quiet vs quite :

quiet or quite

This is probably caused by a slip of the fingers more often than by a slip of the mental gears, but one often sees “quite” (very) substituted for “quiet” (shhh!). This is one of those common errors your spelling checker will not catch, so look out for it.

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Definitions

  • n  a period of calm weather
  • n  an untroubled state; free from disturbances
  • n  the absence of sound
    the street was quiet
  • n  a disposition free from stress or emotion
  • v  become quiet or quieter
  • v  make calm or still
    quiet the dragons of worry and fear
  • a  characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
    a quiet life
    a quiet throng of onlookers
    quiet peace-loving people
    the factions remained quiet for almost 10 years
  • a  free of noise or uproar; or making little if any sound
    a quiet audience at the concert
    the room was dark and quiet
  • s  not showy or obtrusive
    clothes in quiet good taste
  • s  in a softened tone
    a quiet reprimand
  • s  (of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves
    the quiet waters of a lagoon
  • a  of the sun characterized by a low level of surface phenomena like sunspots e.g.
  • r  with little or no activity or no agitation (`quiet' is a nonstandard variant for `quietly')
    her hands rested quietly in her lap
    the rock star was quietly led out the back door
    sit here as quiet as you can

  • r  to a degree (not used with a negative)
    quite tasty
    quite soon
    quite ill
    quite rich
  • r  to the greatest extent; completely
    you're quite right
    she was quite alone
    was quite mistaken
    quite the opposite
    not quite finished
    did not quite make it
  • r  of an unusually noticeable or exceptional or remarkable kind (not used with a negative)
    her victory was quite something
    she's quite a girl
    quite a film
    quite a walk
    we've had quite an afternoon
  • r  actually or truly or to an extreme
    was quite a sudden change
    it's quite the thing to do
    quite the rage
News & Articles

  • DRIFTWOOD OUTDOORS: Quest for quiet
    Silence is part of the essence of bowhunting. As long as I have been shooting a bow, which is pushing 25 years now, the quest for quiet has raged.
    June 16, 2013 - Jefferson City News Tribune
  • VOLTA9: Quiet halls, but strong sales speak volumes
    A VOLTA9 VIP interacts with Satoru Tamura's Point of contact machines (TEZUKAYAMA GALLERY, Osaka). BASEL .- A steady flow of serious buyers to Dreispitzhalle all week long signaled sustained sales for VOLTA9 , despite the overall quieter collector climate in Basel this year.
    June 16, 2013 - Art Daily
  • Warm, quiet evening ahead on Treasure Coast
    This evening remains quiet with low rain chances and warm temperatures in the 70s.
    June 13, 2013 - Indian River Press Journal

  • Can The World Afford Higher Interest Rates?
    That's the end of QE tapering talk then? Not quite, but it should die down somewhat, give U.S. Fed Reserve conduit Jon Hilsenrath's latest kiss-and-tell article in The Wall Street Journal. Thankfully, it might also stop all the blather about the U.S. and global economies recovering (they're not) and this being the end of the bond bull market (premature). What most investors fail to realise is ...
    June 15, 2013 - Forbes
  • AMERICA SLIPS ITS BONDS
    There has never been an American moment quite like Project Mercury.It was one of the great undertakings of American power, one of the great expressions of American ingenuity, one of the great successes of American engineering, one of the great statements of American daring -- and one of the great dividing lines in modern American culture.If you know what Project Mercury was, the passion it ...
    June 15, 2013 - David Shribman via Yahoo! News
  • Nobody is quite sure what a good score is at Merion yet -- except for the participants
    Nobody is quite sure what a good score is at Merion yet -- except for the participants.
    June 14, 2013 - Golf Magazine