quaint

[kweynt]

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.

quaint

/ kweɪnt /

adjective

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

   a quaint village

2. odd, peculiar, or inappropriate

   a quaint sense of duty

Other Word Forms

• quaintly adverb
• quaintness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of quaint¹

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”; cognition

Word History and Origins

Origin of quaint¹

C13 (in the sense: clever): from Old French cointe, from Latin cognitus known, from cognoscere to ascertain

Example Sentences

On top of this, we would be swimming from Bolinas, a quaint fishing town that is famously hostile to visitors and removes its signs to keep them out.

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Nathaniel Whitfield’s friend from the climbing gym in Los Angeles recommended checking out the “Merry Go Round” the next time he was in the quaint mountain community of Lone Pine.

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Stringer said he’s always had a handle on his illustration style — quaint, witty and a bit kitschy — but the distinctive look that his ceramics share also developed out of necessity.

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She posted snaps of quaint scenes of calm skies, golden sunsets and blooming flowers.

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With so many Americans consuming political content via siloed social media feeds and awash in algorithms that stoke outrage, these ideals may seem quaint, if not impossible.

Read more on Salon

Related Words

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