quite
Language: English
Part of speech: adv
Pronunciation: enpr: kwīt
ipa: /kwaɪt/
rhymes: -aɪt
Forms: form: quight
Etymology: 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).
Senses: examples: text: 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.
ref: 1590, Edmund Spenser, “Book I, Canto VIII”, in The Faerie Queene. […], London: […] [John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, →OCLC, stanza 49, page 118:
text: Nobuyoshi Araki has been called a monster, a pornographer and a genius—and the photographer quite agrees.
ref: 2005 October 4, Adrian Searle, The Guardian:
synonyms: word: very
word: absolutely
word: fully
word: thoroughly
word: totally
word: utterly
word: absolutely
word: all-out
word: all the way
word: altogether
word: at large
word: at length
word: cap-a-pie
word: categorically
word: completely
word: detailly
word: downright
word: entirely
word: exhaustively
word: finally
word: first and last
word: flat-out
word: flat out
word: from aardvark to zymurgy
word: from A to Z
word: from head to toe
word: from soup to nuts
word: from stem to stern
word: from the rooter to the tooter
word: from top to bottom
word: from top to toe
word: fully
word: handsomely
word: heartily
word: head to foot
word: head to tail
word: head to toe
word: hook
word: line
word: and sinker
word: in detail
word: in full
word: lock
word: stock
word: and barrel
word: one hundred percent
word: out-and-out
word: out and out
word: outright
word: particularly
word: perfectly
word: plumb
word: purely
word: quite
word: right
word: root and branch
word: soundly
word: soup-to-nuts
word: straight up
word: through and through
word: top to tail
word: top to toe
word: totally
word: totes
word: to the bone
word: to the core
word: to the full
word: utterly
word: well and truly
word: whole
word: whole cloth
word: wholly
glosses: To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.
With verbs, especially past participles.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1891, Thomas Nelson Page, On Newfound River:
text: 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.
ref: 2010 October 30, Joanna Briscoe, The Guardian:
synonyms: word: very
word: absolutely
word: fully
word: thoroughly
word: totally
word: utterly
word: absolutely
word: all-out
word: all the way
word: altogether
word: at large
word: at length
word: cap-a-pie
word: categorically
word: completely
word: detailly
word: downright
word: entirely
word: exhaustively
word: finally
word: first and last
word: flat-out
word: flat out
word: from aardvark to zymurgy
word: from A to Z
word: from head to toe
word: from soup to nuts
word: from stem to stern
word: from the rooter to the tooter
word: from top to bottom
word: from top to toe
word: fully
word: handsomely
word: heartily
word: head to foot
word: head to tail
word: head to toe
word: hook
word: line
word: and sinker
word: in detail
word: in full
word: lock
word: stock
word: and barrel
word: one hundred percent
word: out-and-out
word: out and out
word: outright
word: particularly
word: perfectly
word: plumb
word: purely
word: quite
word: right
word: root and branch
word: soundly
word: soup-to-nuts
word: straight up
word: through and through
word: top to tail
word: top to toe
word: totally
word: totes
word: to the bone
word: to the core
word: to the full
word: utterly
word: well and truly
word: whole
word: whole cloth
word: wholly
glosses: To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.
With prepositional phrases and spatial adverbs.
examples: text: El adrea was quite dead. No more will he slink silently upon his unsuspecting prey.
ref: 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:
text: 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.
ref: 1950, C. S. Lewis, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe:
text: 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.
ref: 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:
synonyms: word: very
word: absolutely
word: fully
word: thoroughly
word: totally
word: utterly
word: absolutely
word: all-out
word: all the way
word: altogether
word: at large
word: at length
word: cap-a-pie
word: categorically
word: completely
word: detailly
word: downright
word: entirely
word: exhaustively
word: finally
word: first and last
word: flat-out
word: flat out
word: from aardvark to zymurgy
word: from A to Z
word: from head to toe
word: from soup to nuts
word: from stem to stern
word: from the rooter to the tooter
word: from top to bottom
word: from top to toe
word: fully
word: handsomely
word: heartily
word: head to foot
word: head to tail
word: head to toe
word: hook
word: line
word: and sinker
word: in detail
word: in full
word: lock
word: stock
word: and barrel
word: one hundred percent
word: out-and-out
word: out and out
word: outright
word: particularly
word: perfectly
word: plumb
word: purely
word: quite
word: right
word: root and branch
word: soundly
word: soup-to-nuts
word: straight up
word: through and through
word: top to tail
word: top to toe
word: totally
word: totes
word: to the bone
word: to the core
word: to the full
word: utterly
word: well and truly
word: whole
word: whole cloth
word: wholly
glosses: To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.
With predicative adjectives.
examples: text: When I warned him that his words might be offensive to identical twins, he said that identical twins were a quite different case.
ref: 2003, Richard Dawkins, A Devil's Chaplain:
text: Create a new, quite separate, private company – say Murdoch Newspaper Holdings – and give it all, or most of, the papers that News Corp owns.
ref: 2011 September 18, Peter Preston, The Observer:
synonyms: word: very
word: absolutely
word: fully
word: thoroughly
word: totally
word: utterly
word: absolutely
word: all-out
word: all the way
word: altogether
word: at large
word: at length
word: cap-a-pie
word: categorically
word: completely
word: detailly
word: downright
word: entirely
word: exhaustively
word: finally
word: first and last
word: flat-out
word: flat out
word: from aardvark to zymurgy
word: from A to Z
word: from head to toe
word: from soup to nuts
word: from stem to stern
word: from the rooter to the tooter
word: from top to bottom
word: from top to toe
word: fully
word: handsomely
word: heartily
word: head to foot
word: head to tail
word: head to toe
word: hook
word: line
word: and sinker
word: in detail
word: in full
word: lock
word: stock
word: and barrel
word: one hundred percent
word: out-and-out
word: out and out
word: outright
word: particularly
word: perfectly
word: plumb
word: purely
word: quite
word: right
word: root and branch
word: soundly
word: soup-to-nuts
word: straight up
word: through and through
word: top to tail
word: top to toe
word: totally
word: totes
word: to the bone
word: to the core
word: to the full
word: utterly
word: well and truly
word: whole
word: whole cloth
word: wholly
glosses: To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.
With attributive adjectives, following an (especially indefinite) article; chiefly as expressing contrast, difference etc.
examples: text: I ventured to hint that he was not quite a fair judge, as [Charles] Churchill had attacked him violently.
ref: 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:
text: 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.
ref: 1920, John Galsworthy, “Timothy Stays the Rot”, in In Chancery (The Forsyte Saga; 2), London: William Heinemann, →OCLC, part II, page 212:
synonyms: word: very
word: absolutely
word: fully
word: thoroughly
word: totally
word: utterly
word: absolutely
word: all-out
word: all the way
word: altogether
word: at large
word: at length
word: cap-a-pie
word: categorically
word: completely
word: detailly
word: downright
word: entirely
word: exhaustively
word: finally
word: first and last
word: flat-out
word: flat out
word: from aardvark to zymurgy
word: from A to Z
word: from head to toe
word: from soup to nuts
word: from stem to stern
word: from the rooter to the tooter
word: from top to bottom
word: from top to toe
word: fully
word: handsomely
word: heartily
word: head to foot
word: head to tail
word: head to toe
word: hook
word: line
word: and sinker
word: in detail
word: in full
word: lock
word: stock
word: and barrel
word: one hundred percent
word: out-and-out
word: out and out
word: outright
word: particularly
word: perfectly
word: plumb
word: purely
word: quite
word: right
word: root and branch
word: soundly
word: soup-to-nuts
word: straight up
word: through and through
word: top to tail
word: top to toe
word: totally
word: totes
word: to the bone
word: to the core
word: to the full
word: utterly
word: well and truly
word: whole
word: whole cloth
word: wholly
glosses: To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.
Preceding nouns introduced by the indefinite article. Chiefly in negative constructions.
examples: text: However, the proceedings were quite carefully orchestrated to produce what seemed to be a predetermined outcome.
ref: 2009, John F. Schmutz, The Battle of the Crater: A complete history:
text: Higher education institutions in the UK are, quite rightly, largely autonomous.
ref: 2011 October 18, Bob Burgess, The Guardian:
synonyms: word: very
word: absolutely
word: fully
word: thoroughly
word: totally
word: utterly
word: absolutely
word: all-out
word: all the way
word: altogether
word: at large
word: at length
word: cap-a-pie
word: categorically
word: completely
word: detailly
word: downright
word: entirely
word: exhaustively
word: finally
word: first and last
word: flat-out
word: flat out
word: from aardvark to zymurgy
word: from A to Z
word: from head to toe
word: from soup to nuts
word: from stem to stern
word: from the rooter to the tooter
word: from top to bottom
word: from top to toe
word: fully
word: handsomely
word: heartily
word: head to foot
word: head to tail
word: head to toe
word: hook
word: line
word: and sinker
word: in detail
word: in full
word: lock
word: stock
word: and barrel
word: one hundred percent
word: out-and-out
word: out and out
word: outright
word: particularly
word: perfectly
word: plumb
word: purely
word: quite
word: right
word: root and branch
word: soundly
word: soup-to-nuts
word: straight up
word: through and through
word: top to tail
word: top to toe
word: totally
word: totes
word: to the bone
word: to the core
word: to the full
word: utterly
word: well and truly
word: whole
word: whole cloth
word: wholly
glosses: To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.
With adverbs of manner.
examples: text: "My little plot has been rather successful, after all, hasn't it?" "Quite a perfect success," said Drake.
ref: 1898, Charles Garvice, Nell of Shorne Mills:
text: While the government claims to lead the world with its plans to reduce carbon dioxide emissions, the figures tell quite a different story.
ref: 2001 February 7, Paul Brown, The Guardian:
glosses: In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually.
Coming before the indefinite article and an attributive adjective. (Now largely merged with moderative senses, below.)
examples: text: “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.”
ref: 1908, W[illiam] B[lair] M[orton] Ferguson, chapter IV, in Zollenstein, New York, N.Y.: D. Appleton & Company, →OCLC:
text: 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.
ref: 2010 November 5, Dave Hill, The Guardian:
glosses: In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually.
With plain adjectives, past participles, and adverbs.
examples: text: Laploshka was one of the meanest men I have ever met, and quite one of the most entertaining.
ref: 1910, Saki [pseudonym; Hector Hugh Munro], “The Soul of Laploshka”, in Reginald in Russia and Other Sketches, London: Methuen & Co. […], →OCLC, page 66:
text: 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.
ref: 1923 October 8, “The New Pictures”, in Time:
glosses: In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually.
Coming before the definite article and an attributive superlative.
examples: text: 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.
ref: 1830, Senate debate, 15 April
text: “Looks like you and Clay had quite a party,” she said with a glimmer in her dark blue eyes.
ref: 2011, Gilbert Morris, The Crossing:
glosses: 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.
examples: text: It's not quite the colour I am looking for.
text: 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.
ref: 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:
text: 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?
ref: 2006 February 6, Sherman Alexie, “When the story stolen is your own”, in Time:
glosses: In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually.
Before a noun preceded by the definite article.
glosses: In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually.
With prepositional or adverbial phrases.
examples: text: Mind your shoes, the basement is quite wet.
synonyms: word: acceptably
word: adequately
word: averagely
word: fairly
word: halfway
word: in a way
word: indifferent
word: mackly
word: moderately
word: middlesome
word: middling
word: middlingly
word: not quite
word: partially
word: passably
word: quite
word: rather
word: reasonably
word: somewhat
word: somewhatly
word: sufficiently
word: tolerably
glosses: To a moderate extent or degree; somewhat, rather.
Derived terms: not quite
quite a bit
quite a few
quite good
quite poor
quite so
quite some
quite the contrary