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Synonym Chooser

How is the word quaint distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of quaint are eccentric, erratic, odd, outlandish, peculiar, singular, strange, and unique. While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.

a quaint fishing village

When is it sensible to use eccentric instead of quaint?

The words eccentric and quaint are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

Where would erratic be a reasonable alternative to quaint?

While the synonyms erratic and quaint are close in meaning, erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

When might odd be a better fit than quaint?

In some situations, the words odd and quaint are roughly equivalent. However, odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

When could outlandish be used to replace quaint?

The synonyms outlandish and quaint are sometimes interchangeable, but outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

In what contexts can peculiar take the place of quaint?

Although the words peculiar and quaint have much in common, peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's first lady

When would singular be a good substitute for quaint?

The words singular and quaint can be used in similar contexts, but singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

When is strange a more appropriate choice than quaint?

While in some cases nearly identical to quaint, strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights

When can unique be used instead of quaint?

The meanings of unique and quaint largely overlap; however, unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quaint The days when people lived and died by the Social Register are quaint history. Miami Herald Archives, Miami Herald, 8 Jan. 2025 This house is quaint and charming and might even be your dream home. Zoe Gowen, Southern Living, 5 Jan. 2025 Begin in quaint Passau, the ‘City of Three Rivers’ where the holiday fair is hosted in the middle of the old town with a 17th-century cathedral as its backdrop. Nicole Kliest, Vogue, 20 Nov. 2024 The quaint Danish village of Solvang is next door, and the local sky is occasionally lit up with rocket launches; Lompoc and Vandenberg Space Force Base are a few miles to the west. Michael Goldstein, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024 See All Example Sentences for quaint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quaint
Adjective
  • The movie, based on the video game of the same name, centers around four misfits who are suddenly pulled through a mysterious portal into a bizarre, cubic wonderland that thrives on imagination.
    Lily Ford, HollywoodReporter, 30 Mar. 2025
  • But their work didn’t rule out the possibility of bizarre algorithms that could somehow use the same piece of memory for storage and calculations simultaneously—the computing equivalent of using a page filled with important notes as scratch paper.
    Ben Brubaker, Wired News, 30 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • One photo shows an antique dealer named Eddie Dodson, who had a store on Melrose Avenue.
    Michael Schulman, New Yorker, 29 Mar. 2025
  • The event featured an antique Jeepney — a traditional open-air vehicle used in the Philippines — and ube shakes.
    Dakota Smith, Los Angeles Times, 29 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Sure, the plot’s kind of a mess, but warrior Alice is an empowering turn while Johnny Depp’s Mad Hatter and Helena Bonham Carter’s big-headed Red Queen are splendidly strange.
    Brian Truitt, USA TODAY, 22 Mar. 2025
  • The movie business and the television business are strange.
    Tim Lammers, Forbes, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • Photo : Jo David for Sotheby’s International Realty A vintage guest bath.
    Wendy Bowman, Robb Report, 21 Mar. 2025
  • There’s actually a vintage store collective called Slow Fashion Hub, which provides a map for tourists to easily spot all of the vintage stores in their collective.
    Brittany Leitner, StyleCaster, 19 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • What happened was that all of this comedy spoken in Kansai-ben was understood nationwide as being funny.
    Ollie Barder, Forbes, 22 Mar. 2025
  • Despite the presence of funny guys Jack Black, Steve Zahn, and Paul Rudd, as well as the comical videos released so far as promos for Anaconda, Black says the upcoming film does come with scares.
    Nick Romano, EW.com, 21 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • And this time, Gomez expanded her more retro aesthetic, opting for a vintage Mugler ‘Vampire’ dress.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 21 Mar. 2025
  • With its retro music cues and curious nostalgia for a time before smartphones, the whole endeavor feels like a throwback to ’90s-era sleeping-with-the-enemy movies.
    Peter Debruge, Variety, 10 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • That may sound odd coming from someone who’s played in the NBA with the Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn Nets and now LA Clippers.
    Law Murray, New York Times, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Canned pineapples, cheddar cheese, and crispy Ritz crackers might sound like an odd combination, but take it from our 5-star reviewers, this casserole is worth the leap of faith.
    Symiah Dorsey, Southern Living, 28 Mar. 2025
Adjective
  • In 2018, Russia blamed Israel for an incident in which an antiquated Syrian S-200 anti-aircraft missile destroyed a Russian military transport while targeting Israeli fighter jets, killing all 15 Russian personnel aboard.
    Paul Iddon, Forbes.com, 28 Mar. 2025
  • Too many fouls, not enough freedom for creativity and an antiquated two halves format have kept him from diving in.
    C.J. Doon, Baltimore Sun, 26 Mar. 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Quaint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quaint. Accessed 2 Apr. 2025.

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