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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.
Recent Examples on the Web
The phone also has a 120Hz display, Qi wireless charging, and a decent camera that’s not quite as nice as those on its flagship counterparts but still capable of impressive results.
—Quentyn Kennemer, The Verge, 22 Jan. 2025
But Hart is correct, no one attacks these types of plays quite like Anunoby does.
—Fred Katz, The Athletic, 22 Jan. 2025
Pre-storm conditions were quite dry, which introduces the potential for evaporative cooling as the snow machine gets started.
—Marshall Shepherd, Forbes, 22 Jan. 2025
The rest of Biophilia is rarely quite so exciting, though, and the album is arguably easier to admire as a concept than to enjoy as simply a collection of songs.
—Al Shipley, SPIN, 22 Jan. 2025
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Word History
Etymology
Middle English, from quite, adjective, quit
First Known Use
14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Time Traveler
The first known use of quite was
in the 14th century
Phrases Containing 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 30 Jan. 2025.
Kids 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
More from Merriam-Webster on quite
Nglish: Translation of quite for Spanish Speakers
Britannica English: Translation of quite for Arabic Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about quite
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