quite en · ADV · etymology 1
Pronunciation
- kwīt (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- [ˈkʰw̥aɪ̯t] (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- /kwaɪ̯t/ (General-American, Received-Pronunciation)
- (US) audio
Etymology
Etymology tree Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- Proto-Indo-European *-tis Proto-Indo-European *kʷyéh₁tis Proto-Italic *kʷjētis Latin quiēs Proto-Indo-European *-sḱéti Proto-Italic *-skō Latin -scō Latin quiēscō Proto-Indo-European *-tós Proto-Italic *-tos Latin -tus Medieval Latin quiētusder. Anglo-Norman quitterder. Middle English quiten English quit ▲ Anglo-Norman quiteinflu. English quite A development of quit, influence by Anglo-Norman quite. Doublet of coy, quit, quiet, and quietus. For an analogous semantic development from the same root, compare Armenian շատ (šat).
Meanings
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(not-comparable) To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely. ▸ With verbs, especially past participles.
Thus when they had the witch diſrobed quight, / And all her filthy feature open ſhowne, / They let her goe at will, and wander waies vnknowne.
1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 49, page 118:Nobuyoshi Araki has been called a monster, a pornographer and a genius—and the photographer quite agrees.
2005 October 4, Adrian Searle, The Guardian:
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(not-comparable) To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely. ▸ With prepositional phrases and spatial adverbs.
Margaret passed quite through the pines, and reached the opening beyond which was what was once the yard, but was now, except for a strip of flower-border and turf which showed care, simply a tangle of bushes and briars.
1891, Thomas Nelson Page, On Newfound River:Religion and parochial etiquette are probed to reveal unhealthy, and sometimes shockingly violent, internal desires quite at odds with the surface life of a town in which tolerance is preached.
2010 October 30, Joanna Briscoe, The Guardian:
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(not-comparable) To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely. ▸ With predicative adjectives.
El adrea was quite dead. No more will he slink silently upon his unsuspecting prey.
1915 December 4 – 1916 January 8, Edgar Rice Burroughs, chapter V, in The Son of Tarzan, Chicago, Ill.: A[lexander] C[aldwell] McClurg & Co., published March 1917, →OCLC, pages 66–67:It was almost quite dark in there and she kept her arms stretched out in front of her so as not to bump her face into the back of the wardrobe.
1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:In Lejeuneaceae vegetative branches normally originate from the basiscopic basal portion of a lateral segment half, as in the Radulaceae, and the associated leaves, therefore, are quite unmodified.
1992, Rudolf M[athias] Schuster, The Hepaticae and Anthocerotae of North America: East of the Hundredth Meridian, volume V, Chicago, Ill.: Field Museum of Natural History, →ISBN, page 5:
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(not-comparable) To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely. ▸ With attributive adjectives, following an (especially indefinite) article; chiefly as expressing contrast, difference etc.
Create a new, quite separate, private company – say Murdoch Newspaper Holdings – and give it all, or most of, the papers that News Corp owns.
2011 September 18, Peter Preston, The Observer:When I warned him that his words might be offensive to identical twins, he said that identical twins were a quite different case.
2003, Richard Dawkins, A Devil's Chaplain:
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(not-comparable) To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely. ▸ Preceding nouns introduced by the indefinite article. Chiefly in negative constructions.
And with a prolonged sound, not quite a sniff and not quite a snort, he trod on Euphemia's toe, and went out, leaving a sensation and a faint scent of barley−sugar behind him.
1920, John Galsworthy, “Timothy Stays the Rot”, in In Chancery (The Forsyte Saga; 2), London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, part II, page 212:I ventured to hint that he was not quite a fair judge, as [Charles] Churchill had attacked him violently.
1791, James Boswell, “[1763]”, in James Boswell, editor, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D. […], volume I, London: […] Henry Baldwin, for Charles Dilly, […], →OCLC, page 227:
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(not-comparable) To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely. ▸ With adverbs of manner.
However, the proceedings were quite carefully orchestrated to produce what seemed to be a predetermined outcome.
2009, John F. Schmutz, The Battle of the Crater: A complete history:Higher education institutions in the UK are, quite rightly, largely autonomous.
2011 October 18, Bob Burgess, The Guardian:
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(not-comparable) In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually. ▸ Coming before the indefinite article and an attributive adjective. (Now largely merged with moderative senses, below.)
While the government claims to lead the world with its plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the figures tell quite a different story.
2001 February 7, Paul Brown, The Guardian:"My little plot has been rather successful, after all, hasn't it?" "Quite a perfect success," said Drake.
1898, Charles Garvice, Nell of Shorne Mills:
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(not-comparable) In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually. ▸ With plain adjectives, past participles, and adverbs.
“My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. / Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. / “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”
1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:London Underground is quite unique in how many front line staff it has, as anyone who has travelled on the Paris Metro or New York Subway will testify.
2010 November 5, Dave Hill, The Guardian:
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(not-comparable) In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually. ▸ Coming before the definite article and an attributive superlative.
Laploshka was one of the meanest men I have ever met, and quite one of the most entertaining.
1910, Saki [pseudonym; Hector Hugh Munro], “The Soul of Laploshka”, in Reginald in Russia and Other Sketches, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 66:Scaramouche has already been greeted as the finest French Revolution yet brought to the screen-and even if you are a little weary of seeing a strongly American band of sans-culottes demolish a pasteboard Paris, you should not miss Scaramouche, for it is quite the best thing Rex Ingram has done since The Four Horsemen.
1923 October 8, “The New Pictures”, in Time:
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(not-comparable) In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually. ▸ Before a noun preceded by an indefinite article; now often with ironic implications that the noun in question is particularly noteworthy or remarkable.
To debauch the Indians with rum and cheat them of their land was quite a Government affair, and not at all criminal; but to use rum to cheat them of their peltry, was an abomination in the sight of the law.
1830, Senate debate, 15 April“Looks like you and Clay had quite a party,” she said with a glimmer in her dark blue eyes.
2011, Gilbert Morris, The Crossing:
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(not-comparable) In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually. ▸ Before a noun preceded by the definite article.
It's not quite the colour I am looking for.
His memoir features a child named Tommy Nothing Fancy who suffers from and dies of a seizure disorder. Quite the coincidence, don't you think?
2006 February 6, Sherman Alexie, “When the story stolen is your own”, in Time:It is quite the proper thing for a lady to be on intimate, and even on affectionate, terms with her favourite clergyman, and Lizzie certainly had intercourse with no clergyman who was a greater favourite with her than Mr. Emilius.
1871 July – 1873 February, Anthony Trollope, “The Aspirations of Mr. Emilius”, in The Eustace Diamonds. A Novel, New York, N.Y.: Harper & Brothers, […], published 1872, →OCLC, page 288, column 1:
- (archaic, not-comparable) In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually. ▸ With prepositional or adverbial phrases.
-
(not-comparable) To a moderate extent or degree; somewhat, rather.
Mind your shoes, the basement is quite wet.
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| quight | alternative, obsolete | lexicographic |
Deriveds
quite so · quite a few · quite good · quite the contrary · quite poor · quitely · not quite · quite the opposite · quite some · quite a bit
Descendants
Synonyms
head to tail · soup-to-nuts · whole cloth · fully · head to toe · stone-cold · plumb · soundly · finally · from soup to nuts · properly · soup-to-nuts · fully · finally · halfway · first and last · absolutely · head to toe · properly · from the rooter to the tooter · top to toe · whole cloth · top to toe · all-out · cap-a-pie · through and through · thoroughly · totally · quite · completely · middlesome · in full · from stem to stern · cap-a-pie · soundly · purely · first and last · outright · straight up · detailly · completely · well and truly · entirely · flat out · to the bone · root and branch · quite · from the rooter to the tooter · through and through · flat-out · hook · head to toe · tout à fait · fully · wholly · totally · absolutely · middling · in full · totally · tout à fait · entirely · stone-cold · heartily · finally · heartily · heartily · soundly · well and truly · soup-to-nuts · flat out · reasonably · soundly · at large · thoroughly · heartily · utterly · soup-to-nuts · stark · totally · head to toe · at large · flat-out · finally · from aardvark to zymurgy · detailly · line · utterly · handsomely · entirely · flat-out · quite · to the core · cold · completely · stock · categorically · whole · straight up · from top to toe · in a way · head to foot · absolutely · flat out · downright · root and branch · and sinker · all the way · first and last · whole cloth · blind · cap-a-pie · cold · detailly · cold · from A to Z · utterly · outright · downright · entirely · absolutely · outright · right · to the core · first and last · from stem to stern · finally · properly · absolutely · from soup to nuts · altogether · hook · from top to bottom · all the way · out and out · in detail · exhaustively · head to foot · to the full · absolutely · right · wholly · fully · from stem to stern · flat-out · categorically · right · absolutely · top to tail · to the core · from stem to stern · whole · and barrel · tout à fait · straight up · exhaustively · handsomely · and barrel · line · line · properly · top to toe · totes · blind · all-out · fully · flat out · from top to toe · purely · straight up · at large · hook · and sinker · absolutely · at length · head to foot · very · from the rooter to the tooter · downright · from the rooter to the tooter · at length · in full · well and truly · in detail · fully · purely · one hundred percent · from top to bottom · whole · totally · soundly · through and through · very · outright · root and branch · quite · cap-a-pie · entirely · utterly · stark · lock · exhaustively · utterly · heartily · and barrel · out-and-out · to the full · completely · stark · to the bone · from A to Z · utterly · well and truly · rather · totes · flat-out · handsomely · well and truly · to the core · right · out and out · quite · passably · particularly · whole cloth · straight up · properly · out-and-out · well and truly · one hundred percent · absolutely · from top to bottom · in full · from head to toe · totally · particularly · all-out · head to toe · perfectly · all the way · exhaustively · utterly · through and through · from head to toe · and sinker · from stem to stern · all-out · downright · top to tail · soundly · to the bone · from top to bottom · through and through · mackly · and barrel · one hundred percent · lock · altogether · plumb · very · from soup to nuts · cap-a-pie · flat-out · from aardvark to zymurgy · top to tail · flat out · tout à fait · hook · lock · tout à fait · from stem to stern · fully · at large · categorically · whole · somewhat · hook · from aardvark to zymurgy · out and out · top to tail · first and last · purely · to the full · top to toe · totes · plumb · categorically · from head to toe · from aardvark to zymurgy · absolutely · from top to bottom · from soup to nuts · from head to toe · all-out · top to toe · entirely · plumb · quite · quite · detailly · to the full · totally · and barrel · straight up · very · altogether · and sinker · cold · from top to toe · thoroughly · totally · heartily · perfectly · at length · thoroughly · particularly · head to tail · totally · head to tail · head to tail · indifferent · to the core · particularly · blind · in full · perfectly · from soup to nuts · purely · handsomely · purely · from top to toe · fairly · plumb · from top to toe · totes · exhaustively · somewhatly · head to toe · detailly · and sinker · categorically · cold · all the way · top to tail · one hundred percent · cold · lock · stone-cold · detailly · head to foot · blind · from A to Z · one hundred percent · right · wholly · in detail · adequately · whole cloth · soup-to-nuts · from the rooter to the tooter · stark · utterly · stark · from head to toe · acceptably · fully · wholly · perfectly · head to foot · from head to toe · downright · fully · averagely · perfectly · handsomely · handsomely · whole · out-and-out · stock · totally · at length · through and through · root and branch · exhaustively · wholly · stock · to the bone · head to tail · to the bone · first and last · fully · in detail · hook · utterly · and barrel · and sinker · at length · soup-to-nuts · flat out · middlingly · at large · root and branch · particularly · perfectly · blind · out and out · to the bone · from aardvark to zymurgy · to the full · sufficiently · particularly · totes · partially · top to tail · one hundred percent · stock · moderately · totally · out and out · thoroughly · blind · utterly · tolerably · from aardvark to zymurgy · right · totes · whole · very · properly · cap-a-pie · fully · stock · from top to toe · at large · totally · completely · stone-cold · stone-cold · from soup to nuts · head to tail · all-out · line · stone-cold · out-and-out · absolutely · stock · to the full · from A to Z · all the way · out-and-out · from top to bottom · very · line · top to toe · tout à fait · in detail · completely · outright · downright · all the way · finally · head to foot · out-and-out · at length · outright · to the core · altogether · plumb · wholly · utterly · stark · lock · categorically · whole cloth · absolutely · fully · in detail · from the rooter to the tooter · out and out · utterly · line · from A to Z · altogether · altogether · lock · not quite · from A to Z · in full · thoroughly · root and branch
Translations (168)
eo tute (to the greatest extent; completely) · fi paljon (to the greatest extent; completely) · hu elég (to a moderate extent) · de recht (to a moderate extent) · ro cam (to a moderate extent) · is nokkuð (to a moderate extent) · cs celkem (to a moderate extent) · de buchstäblich (in a fully justified sense; truly) · gd car (to a moderate extent) · de ganz und gar (to the greatest extent; completely) · eo tute (in a fully justified sense; truly) · nl best (to a moderate extent) · ru изря́дно (to the greatest extent; completely) · lv īsti (in a fully justified sense; truly) · lv gluži (to the greatest extent; completely) · sv rätt så (to a moderate extent) · fi täysin (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ka სავსებით (to the greatest extent; completely) · pt completamente (in a fully justified sense; truly) · de recht (in a fully justified sense; truly) · cmn 好生 (in a fully justified sense; truly) · sv ganska (to a moderate extent) · fr vraiment (in a fully justified sense; truly) · pt bem (to a moderate extent) · sv fullständigt (to the greatest extent; completely) · da ganske (to the greatest extent; completely) · fr tout à fait (to the greatest extent; completely) · fi kovasti (to the greatest extent; completely) · fi sangen (to the greatest extent; completely) · sv komplett (to the greatest extent; completely) · pl całkiem (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ja かなり (to a moderate extent) · non ǫllungis (to the greatest extent; completely) · ru во́все (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ka სრულიად (to the greatest extent; completely) · cmn 夠 /够 (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ang eall (to the greatest extent; completely) · ro realmente (in a fully justified sense; truly) · uk до́сить (to a moderate extent) · nl tamelijk (to a moderate extent) · ru совсе́м (in a fully justified sense; truly) · bg доста (to a moderate extent) · hu meglehetősen (to a moderate extent) · nl aardig (to a moderate extent) · ka ნამდვილად (in a fully justified sense; truly) · grc πάγχυ (to the greatest extent; completely) · da ganske (to a moderate extent) · fi melko (to a moderate extent) · da ret (to a moderate extent) · da helt (to the greatest extent; completely) · hi बिलकुल (in a fully justified sense; truly) · de völlig (to the greatest extent; completely) · no ganske (to a moderate extent) · es tal como (y) (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ro cu adevărat (in a fully justified sense; truly) · it piuttosto (to a moderate extent) · ro complet (to the greatest extent; completely) · ru вполне́ (to the greatest extent; completely) · uk цілко́м (to the greatest extent; completely) · vi khá (to a moderate extent) · cmn 挺 (to the greatest extent; completely) · de ziemlich (to a moderate extent) · ru по́лностью (in a fully justified sense; truly) · no temmelig (to the greatest extent; completely) · da fuldt ud (to the greatest extent; completely) · pl całkiem (to the greatest extent; completely) · pt totalmente (in a fully justified sense; truly) · fi kohtalaisen (to a moderate extent) · el αρκετά (to a moderate extent) · ja すっかり (in a fully justified sense; truly) · cs naprosto (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ca totalment (in a fully justified sense; truly) · uk по́вністю (in a fully justified sense; truly) · it piuttosto (in a fully justified sense; truly) · es asaz (to the greatest extent; completely) · no helt (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ga ar fad (to the greatest extent; completely) · ca exactament (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ca completament (to the greatest extent; completely) · bg напълно (to the greatest extent; completely) · ca força (to a moderate extent) · pt totalmente (to the greatest extent; completely) · da temmelig (to a moderate extent) · bg съвсем (to the greatest extent; completely) · pt razoavelmente (to a moderate extent) · ka მთლიანად (to the greatest extent; completely) · uk зо́всім (in a fully justified sense; truly) · sh dosta (to a moderate extent) · sl precej (to the greatest extent; completely) · ru весьма́ (to the greatest extent; completely) · bg действително (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ru вполне́ (to a moderate extent) · pl całkowicie (to the greatest extent; completely) · da fuldstændig (to the greatest extent; completely) · de höchst (to the greatest extent; completely) · uk дово́лі (to a moderate extent) · tl napaka- (to the greatest extent; completely) · ko 상당히 (to the greatest extent; completely) · de ganz (to the greatest extent; completely) · hi काफ़ी (to a moderate extent) · pl całkiem (to a moderate extent) · ang eall (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ka საკმაოდ (to a moderate extent) · cs zcela (in a fully justified sense; truly) · cs úplně (in a fully justified sense; truly) · cmn 挺 (in a fully justified sense; truly) · de ausgesprochen (in a fully justified sense; truly) · tr tam (to the greatest extent; completely) · es bastante (to a moderate extent) · pt completamente (to the greatest extent; completely) · hu viszonylag (to a moderate extent) · tr oldukça (to a moderate extent) · eo plene (to the greatest extent; completely) · ro total (to the greatest extent; completely) · ko 꽤 (to a moderate extent) · fr assez (to a moderate extent) · ja 丸で (in a fully justified sense; truly) · lv ļoti (to the greatest extent; completely) · hu eléggé (to a moderate extent) · is frekar (to a moderate extent) · hi काफ़ी (to the greatest extent; completely) · es menudo (to the greatest extent; completely) · ga réasúnta (to a moderate extent) · pt bastante (to a moderate extent) · es bastante (to the greatest extent; completely) · sv tämligen (to a moderate extent) · pl całkowicie (in a fully justified sense; truly) · cs dost (to the greatest extent; completely) · fr complètement (to the greatest extent; completely) · fi varsin (to the greatest extent; completely) · ka მეტად (to a moderate extent) · lv visai (to the greatest extent; completely) · cmn 夠 /够 (to a moderate extent) · pt realmente (in a fully justified sense; truly) · sv helt (to the greatest extent; completely) · ru во́все (to a moderate extent) · ka ფრიად (to a moderate extent) · hu teljesen (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ca bastant (to a moderate extent) · ja 結構 (to a moderate extent) · sv rätt (to a moderate extent) · hu teljesen (to the greatest extent; completely) · tyv элээн (to a moderate extent) · fi aivan (in a fully justified sense; truly) · de einigermaßen (to a moderate extent) · tyz cà ro̱ (to a moderate extent) · nl volkomen (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ru дово́льно (to a moderate extent) · it proprio (to the greatest extent; completely) · bg наистина (in a fully justified sense; truly) · cs docela (to a moderate extent) · sv alldeles (in a fully justified sense; truly) · eo sufiĉe (to a moderate extent) · de halbwegs (to a moderate extent) · de geradezu (in a fully justified sense; truly) · hu aránylag (to a moderate extent) · mr पूर्णपणे (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ur بالکل (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ca verdaderament (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ca del tot (to the greatest extent; completely) · ka მთლიანად (in a fully justified sense; truly) · fi kokonaan (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ca completament (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ms agak (to the greatest extent; completely) · ko 완전히 (in a fully justified sense; truly) · ka სრულიად (in a fully justified sense; truly) · sv verkligen (in a fully justified sense; truly) · sv sannerligen (in a fully justified sense; truly)