1
: wholly, completely
not quite finished
2
: to an extreme : positively
quite sure
—often used as an intensifier with aquite a swell guy
quite a beauty
3
: to a considerable extent : rather
quite near
Synonyms
Examples of quite in a Sentence
He felt that the world he had loved had quite gone.
—
Edmund Wilson, New York Times Book Review, 20 July 1986
The men who made love to the left-wing college girls were either medical students, who had contempt for them and forgot them, or jocks, who bragged falsely of having made conquests of quite other girls.
—Renata Adler, Pitch Dark, 1983
In my opinion, my work … ain't quite good enough …
—William Faulkner, in Faulkner in the University, (1959) 1977
Irene Franey, a little older than I, was quite a beauty
—John O'Hara, letter, 30 Dec. 1963
“Are you quite finished?” “Not quite.”
I am quite capable of doing it myself, thank you.
They assured me that I was quite mistaken.
We hadn't quite made up our minds.
She's quite right, you know.
I quite forgot your birthday.
No one realized quite what was happening.
Quite why he left is unclear.
That is not quite what I said.
Edmund Wilson, New York Times Book Review, 20 July 1986
The men who made love to the left-wing college girls were either medical students, who had contempt for them and forgot them, or jocks, who bragged falsely of having made conquests of quite other girls.
—Renata Adler, Pitch Dark, 1983
In my opinion, my work … ain't quite good enough …
—William Faulkner, in Faulkner in the University, (1959) 1977
Irene Franey, a little older than I, was quite a beauty
—John O'Hara, letter, 30 Dec. 1963
“Are you quite finished?” “Not quite.”
I am quite capable of doing it myself, thank you.
They assured me that I was quite mistaken.
We hadn't quite made up our minds.
She's quite right, you know.
I quite forgot your birthday.
No one realized quite what was happening.
Quite why he left is unclear.
That is not quite what I said.
Recent Examples on the Web
Where to Find Support Trauma recovery can look quite different from person to person.
—Michelle Pugle, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2024
Although fans mostly expressed excitement to try out her olive oil ice cream hack, not everyone is quite as loyal to the idea of a pickle and jalapeño juice cocktail.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2024
In a sea of pop culture witches, few have enchanted the public quite like the Owen sisters in 1998’s Practical Magic.
—Ivana Rihter, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2024
By the time Collaborative Robotics was ready to pursue Series A funding, the environment wasn’t quite as friendly for fundraising.
—Allbusiness, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quite 
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of
Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback
about these examples.
Michelle Pugle, Verywell Health, 24 Oct. 2024
Although fans mostly expressed excitement to try out her olive oil ice cream hack, not everyone is quite as loyal to the idea of a pickle and jalapeño juice cocktail.
—Sophia Beams, Better Homes & Gardens, 24 Oct. 2024
In a sea of pop culture witches, few have enchanted the public quite like the Owen sisters in 1998’s Practical Magic.
—Ivana Rihter, Vogue, 24 Oct. 2024
By the time Collaborative Robotics was ready to pursue Series A funding, the environment wasn’t quite as friendly for fundraising.
—Allbusiness, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quite
Articles Related to quite
Dictionary Entries Near quite
Cite this Entry
“Quite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quite. Accessed 10 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quite
adverb1
: beyond question or doubt : completely
quite alone
quite sure
2
: more or less sense 1, rather
we live quite near the school
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share