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
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."
Vocabulary lists containing quaint
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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.
As the mayor of Widow’s Bay, Tom only wants his quaint New England island community to get a little more recognition and, with that, a healthy influx of tourism revenue.
From Salon • Jun. 18, 2026
The 23-year-old has undoubtedly enjoyed a productive week at the quaint club nestled in the Victorian terraces of west London.
From BBC • Jun. 14, 2026
In 2004, a Senate subcommittee gathered on Capitol Hill to ask a question that now sounds quaint: Could America still reach space without the space shuttle?
From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 11, 2026
There was only an Apple executive laying out the quaint premise: “We created Apple Sports to give sports fans what they want — an app that delivers incredibly fast access to scores and stats.”
From Slate • Jun. 10, 2026
I’m old enough, I’ve paid my dues, it’s time for me to be quaint.
From "The Handmaid's Tale" by Margaret Atwood
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.
