quaint

American  

[kweynt] / kweɪnt /

adjective

quainter, quaintest

1. having an old-fashioned attractiveness or charm; oddly picturesque.

   a quaint old house.

   Synonyms:

   archaic, antiquated

2. strange, peculiar, or unusual in an interesting, pleasing, or amusing way.

   a quaint sense of humor.

   Synonyms:

   uncommon, curious

   Antonyms:

   ordinary

3. skillfully or cleverly made.

4. Obsolete. wise; skilled.

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quaint British  

/ kweɪnt /

adjective

1. attractively unusual, esp in an old-fashioned style

   a quaint village

2. odd, peculiar, or inappropriate

   a quaint sense of duty

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Other Word Forms

• quaintly
  adverb
• quaintness
  noun

Etymology

Origin of quaint

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English queinte, from Old French, variant of cointe “clever, pleasing,” from Latin cognitus “learned, known,” past participle of cognōscere “to learn, become acquainted”; see cognition

Explanation

Quaint means strange and unusual in an old-fashioned and charming way. It's a word you'd use to describe a little store that sells tea cozies and antique tea services, or your grandmother's habit of calling the radio the "wireless." There is a commonly used sarcastic sense of quaint — when something is run down or shabby and you're trying to say something positive, you might substitute "How...quaint" for "How...interesting." In Middle English, this adjective meant "clever" or "cunning." Its origin is Old French queinte, cointe, from Latin cognitus "known," from cognōscere "to learn."

Example Sentences

Quaint advice but also true — our family recently celebrated the dog days of summer by adopting Harley, who, according to his paperwork, is a golden retriever-spaniel mix.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 13, 2024

Quaint vacation homes dot the water-facing side of the road, while waterfalls proliferate mountainside, thanks to autumn rains.

From Seattle Times • Oct. 12, 2022

Quaint details aside, this is no period piece.

From New York Times • Sep. 10, 2021

Quaint subsistence farm plots were overtaken by hastily erected apartment towers and high-speed rail lines, as the province endured dizzying development fueled by decades of Chinese economic expansion.

From Salon • May 10, 2020

Quaint and pathetic sidelights are cast upon this strange Anglo-Japanese union by Mrs. Hearn's recently-published "Reminiscences" and by various letters of his to friends.

From Lafcadio Hearn by Kennard, Nina H.

Related Words

• bizarre
• curious
• fanciful
• funny
• laughable
• peculiar
• unusual
• weird
• whimsical