quaint
Americanadjective
-
having an old-fashioned attractiveness or charm; oddly picturesque.
a quaint old house.
- Synonyms:
- archaic, antiquated
-
strange, peculiar, or unusual in an interesting, pleasing, or amusing way.
a quaint sense of humor.
- Antonyms:
- ordinary
-
skillfully or cleverly made.
-
Obsolete. wise; skilled.
adjective
-
attractively unusual, esp in an old-fashioned style
a quaint village
-
odd, peculiar, or inappropriate
a quaint sense of duty
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”; cognition
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The idea that work was once done strictly by people will seem quaint to some.
I know it sounds both naive and quaint, but going to see a game should be a common ritual with family and/or friends.
The Plaza features quaint Spanish village scenery built out of its side walls with background illumination that glows pink and then deep purple, emulating a setting sun as the lights go down.
From Los Angeles Times
They did not look quaint or musty but decidedly contemporary, even stylish.
The present trend—longer lives and lower birthrates—will make Ford’s labor-force problem seem quaint as we move through the next two to three decades.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
