quaint
[kweynt]
- having an old-fashioned attractiveness or charm; oddly picturesque: a quaint old house.
- strange, peculiar, or unusual in an interesting, pleasing, or amusing way: a quaint sense of humor.
- skillfully or cleverly made.
- Obsolete. wise; skilled.
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Origin of quaint
1175–1225; Middle English queinte < Old French, variant of cointe clever, pleasing ≪ Latin cognitus known (past participle of cognōscere; see cognition)
Synonyms
Antonyms
2. ordinary.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018
Examples from the Web for quaintly
Contemporary Examples
Nothing in Shesol's study reads as quaintly as Johnson's concern for the good opinion of "intellectuals."
This now seems as quaintly adorable as picture hats and daily milk deliveries.
Sinn Fein, the political wing of the IRA as it used to quaintly be called, says Martin McGuinness will shake Queen's hand.
His is the only story that has a chance this week of knocking climate change off what are still, quaintly, called the front pages.
Historical Examples
"In his own parish in particular," quaintly added John Effingham.
Homeward BoundJames Fenimore Cooper
He discovered her quaintly with a jar of pickled frogs in her hand.
The Innocent AdventuressMary Hastings Bradley
There were tables and chairs of earth-style, quaintly old-fashioned.
The World BeyondRaymond King Cummings
"Troth, you're the only gentleman of my acquaintance," said Freney, quaintly.
The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. I (of II)Charles James Lever
“Verily I guessed so much, for his eyes be in your head,” said Barbara quaintly.
Clare AveryEmily Sarah Holt
quaint
- attractively unusual, esp in an old-fashioned stylea quaint village
- odd, peculiar, or inappropriatea quaint sense of duty
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Word Origin
C13 (in the sense: clever): from Old French cointe, from Latin cognitus known, from cognoscere to ascertain
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
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Word Origin and History for quaintly
quaint
adj.
c.1200, cointe, "cunning, ingenious; proud," from Old French cointe "knowledgeable, well-informed; clever; arrogant, proud; elegant, gracious," from Latin cognitus "known, approved," past participle of cognoscere "get or come to know well" (see cognizance). Modern spelling is from early 14c.
Later in English, "elaborate, skillfully made" (c.1300); "strange and clever" (mid-14c.). Sense of "old-fashioned but charming" is first attested 1795, and could describe the word itself, which had become rare after c.1700 (though it soon recovered popularity in this secondary sense). Related: Quaintly; quaintness.
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Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper