: the quality or state of being quiet (see quiet entry 2) : tranquility
1
a
: free from noise or uproar : still
a quiet room
The lights went down and the theater became quiet.
b
: making or involving no noise or very little noise
a quiet motor
a quiet conversation
Everyone suddenly went quiet.
Please be quiet—people are trying to study.
c
: tending to speak very little : not loquacious
He was a quiet, reserved person.
d
: unobtrusive, conservative
quiet clothes/colors
2
a
: marked by little or no motion or activity : calm
a quiet sea
At such an early hour, the streets seemed strangely quiet.
c
: not disturbed by noise or activity
quiet reading
a moment of quiet contemplation
: enjoyed in peace and relaxation
a quiet cup of tea
3
: secluded
a quiet nook
4
: carried out secretly or discreetly
quiet diplomacy
: not made known openly or publicly
worked with quiet determination
She had a quiet confidence about her.
He took a quiet satisfaction in a job well done.
quietly
adverb
quietness
noun
: in a quiet manner
an engine that runs quiet
quieted; quieting; quiets
1
: to cause to be quiet : calm
2
: to make secure by freeing from dispute or question
quiet title to a property
: to become quiet
—usually used with down
Synonyms
Noun
- calm
- calmness
- hush
- peace
- peacefulness
- placidity
- quietness
- quietude
- repose
- restfulness
- sereneness
- serenity
- still
- stillness
- tranquility
- tranquillity
Adjective
Adverb
Verb
Examples of quiet in a Sentence
Noun
My hostess told me she had some records I might like to hear and she called for quiet in the room. People sat down on the floor in groups, sharing bottles of wine and slivovitz. The host put the record on a windup record player and Lester Young's saxophone yowled out of the silence.
—
Maya Angelou, Gourmet, November 2002
When my parents needed peace and quiet, they didn't put me in front of the television to watch a "Baby Einstein" video; they plopped me in a chair to watch my mom do housework or cook.
—Robb Moretti, Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2002
the quiet of a wooded trail
Can I have some quiet here? I'm trying to study.
I need a little peace and quiet.
Adjective
Breakfast at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, a members-only institution founded in the city now called Mumbai in 1846 by British colonial officers, is a meal of quiet elegance. The second-story veranda looks out over a small garden and, beyond that, the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Hotel. Outside is the tumult of horse-drawn carriages, touts, and taxis. Inside is peaceful stillness, broken only by the sounds of crunched-on toast and rustling newspapers.
—Lyla Bavadam, Saveur, October 2008
One change I notice is that I get sleepy earlier than I used to, sometimes by 8:30 or 9 if I am having a quiet evening at home.
—Andrew Weil, Time, 17 Oct. 2005
I interviewed Virginia, who is totally blind, in a small local library. Walking with her guide dog, this young-looking woman arrived soon after I came in. We found a quiet corner to sit and talk while her dog settled beside her chair. At forty-three, Virginia was used to telling her story and found time for our interview in her busy travel schedule. She had just returned from San Francisco where she had spoken at the California Academy of Sciences and was about to leave for Montreal, Canada, to conduct workshops in diversity awareness.
—Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004
Attributing their behaviors to their personal dispositions, we decide Julie is shy and Jack is outgoing. Because people do have enduring personality traits, such attributions are sometimes valid. However, we often overestimate the influence of personality and underestimate the influence of situations. In class, Jack may be as quiet as Julie. Catch Julie at a party and you may hardly recognize your quiet classmate.
—David G. Myers, Psychology, 2001
the quiet hum of the refrigerator
He spoke in a very quiet voice.
Surprisingly, the class was quiet.
He's a very quiet person.
She has a quiet disposition.
During the morning, business was quiet.
Some days at the store are quieter than others.
a quiet stretch of road
He led a quiet life.
Adverb
lie quiet and no one will guess you're hiding under the bed
Verb
Clemens had few questions to answer about Piazza. The beanball and broken bat from 2000, and the Mets' tepid retaliation last season, were memories. And since Clemens recorded his 300th victory on June 13, the buzz around him has quieted.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 29 June 2003
When she walked down the hall past his classroom, the sounds of chaos came over the frosted-glass pane above the door. She had taken to making random visits; the sight of her in the doorway quieted the kids.
—Mary Gordon, Atlantic, May 1999
Even with that, Presser was so scared that he fled to Florida and moved from hotel to hotel till the gang war quieted down, with his side on top.
—A. H. Raskin, New York Times Book Review, 10 Dec. 1989
the museum docent told the rowdy youngsters to quiet down for the tour
quiet a crying toddler with candy
Maya Angelou, Gourmet, November 2002
When my parents needed peace and quiet, they didn't put me in front of the television to watch a "Baby Einstein" video; they plopped me in a chair to watch my mom do housework or cook.
—Robb Moretti, Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2002
the quiet of a wooded trail
Can I have some quiet here? I'm trying to study.
I need a little peace and quiet.
Adjective
Breakfast at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, a members-only institution founded in the city now called Mumbai in 1846 by British colonial officers, is a meal of quiet elegance. The second-story veranda looks out over a small garden and, beyond that, the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Hotel. Outside is the tumult of horse-drawn carriages, touts, and taxis. Inside is peaceful stillness, broken only by the sounds of crunched-on toast and rustling newspapers.
—Lyla Bavadam, Saveur, October 2008
One change I notice is that I get sleepy earlier than I used to, sometimes by 8:30 or 9 if I am having a quiet evening at home.
—Andrew Weil, Time, 17 Oct. 2005
I interviewed Virginia, who is totally blind, in a small local library. Walking with her guide dog, this young-looking woman arrived soon after I came in. We found a quiet corner to sit and talk while her dog settled beside her chair. At forty-three, Virginia was used to telling her story and found time for our interview in her busy travel schedule. She had just returned from San Francisco where she had spoken at the California Academy of Sciences and was about to leave for Montreal, Canada, to conduct workshops in diversity awareness.
—Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004
Attributing their behaviors to their personal dispositions, we decide Julie is shy and Jack is outgoing. Because people do have enduring personality traits, such attributions are sometimes valid. However, we often overestimate the influence of personality and underestimate the influence of situations. In class, Jack may be as quiet as Julie. Catch Julie at a party and you may hardly recognize your quiet classmate.
—David G. Myers, Psychology, 2001
the quiet hum of the refrigerator
He spoke in a very quiet voice.
Surprisingly, the class was quiet.
He's a very quiet person.
She has a quiet disposition.
During the morning, business was quiet.
Some days at the store are quieter than others.
a quiet stretch of road
He led a quiet life.
Adverb
lie quiet and no one will guess you're hiding under the bed
Verb
Clemens had few questions to answer about Piazza. The beanball and broken bat from 2000, and the Mets' tepid retaliation last season, were memories. And since Clemens recorded his 300th victory on June 13, the buzz around him has quieted.
—Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 29 June 2003
When she walked down the hall past his classroom, the sounds of chaos came over the frosted-glass pane above the door. She had taken to making random visits; the sight of her in the doorway quieted the kids.
—Mary Gordon, Atlantic, May 1999
Even with that, Presser was so scared that he fled to Florida and moved from hotel to hotel till the gang war quieted down, with his side on top.
—A. H. Raskin, New York Times Book Review, 10 Dec. 1989
the museum docent told the rowdy youngsters to quiet down for the tour
quiet a crying toddler with candy
Recent Examples on the Web
Laura Parker, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Yaeji's With a Hammer takes one idea—namely, the volcano of rage that bubbled up inside the Korean-American artist during the quiet of the pandemic—and studies it from every angle.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
Find a quiet spot away from city lights, lay back, and enjoy the cosmos while sharing stories with friends.
—Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
Kathryn Dill and Angela Yang, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022
Some workers just quiet-quit, doing the minimum to hold on to their jobs.
—Christopher Dinsmore, Baltimore Sun, 8 Dec. 2022
Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
As chief executive of a superpower, Harris would also be able to quiet lingering doubts that women are equipped to make decisions of war and peace.
—Linda Robinson, Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quiet 
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show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Noun
Returning to the island at the end of a busy day and experiencing a rare quiet that’s almost impossible to to find in New York—even for someone who’s lived there for over a decade.
—Laura Parker, Forbes, 28 Oct. 2024
Yaeji's With a Hammer takes one idea—namely, the volcano of rage that bubbled up inside the Korean-American artist during the quiet of the pandemic—and studies it from every angle.
—Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024
Adjective
Mikko Rantanen spoke bluntly about Nichushkin, saying the quiet part out loud.
—Troy Renck, The Denver Post, 15 Nov. 2024
Find a quiet spot away from city lights, lay back, and enjoy the cosmos while sharing stories with friends.
—Tribune Content Agency, The Mercury News, 14 Nov. 2024
Adverb
Cue the quiet-quitting backlash: The concept has sparked a flood of vehement commentary from business leaders, career coaches and other professionals lamenting what the shift away from hustle culture means for Americans’ commitment to their jobs, while some young professionals are praising it.
—Kathryn Dill and Angela Yang, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022
Some workers just quiet-quit, doing the minimum to hold on to their jobs.
—Christopher Dinsmore, Baltimore Sun, 8 Dec. 2022
Verb
The unconscious mind lingers on the problem even after people have used strategies to quiet the fear by pushing it from awareness.
—Discover Magazine, 8 Nov. 2024
As chief executive of a superpower, Harris would also be able to quiet lingering doubts that women are equipped to make decisions of war and peace.
—Linda Robinson, Foreign Affairs, 31 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for quiet
Dictionary Entries Near quiet
Cite this Entry
“Quiet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quiet. Accessed 22 Nov. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quiet
1 of 3 noun
qui·et
ˈkwī-ət 
: the quality or state of being quiet
quiet
2 of 3 adjective1
a
: marked by little or no motion, activity, or noise : calm
b
: gentle entry 1 sense 2b, easygoing
a quiet disposition
c
: not disturbed : peaceful
enjoyed a quiet dinner for two
2
: not colorful or showy : conservative
quiet clothes
3
: hidden from public view
a quiet corner
quiet
adverb
quietly
adverb
quietness
noun
quiet
3 of 3 verb
: to make or become quiet
quieter
noun
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