quiet
Americanadjective
-
quieter,
comparative
-
quietest
superlative
-
making no noise or sound, especially no disturbing sound.
quiet neighbors.
-
free, or comparatively free, from noise.
a quiet street.
-
Be quiet!
-
restrained in speech, manner, etc.; saying little.
a quiet person.
-
free from disturbance or tumult; tranquil; peaceful.
a quiet life.
- Antonyms:
- disturbance
-
being at rest.
-
refraining or free from activity, especially busy or vigorous activity.
a quiet Sunday afternoon.
-
making no disturbance or trouble; not turbulent; peaceable.
The factions remained quiet for twenty years.
-
motionless or moving very gently.
quiet waters.
- Synonyms:
- unmoving
- Antonyms:
- active
-
free from disturbing thoughts, emotions, etc.; mentally peaceful.
a quiet conscience.
-
said, expressed, done, etc., in a restrained or unobtrusive way.
a quiet reproach;
a quiet admonition.
-
not showy or obtrusive; subdued.
quiet colors.
-
not busy or active.
The stock market was quiet last week.
verb (used with object)
-
quiets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
quieted,
past participle, past
-
quieting
present participle
verb (used without object)
-
quiets,
present (3rd person singular)
-
quieted,
past participle, past
-
quieting
present participle
noun
-
freedom from noise, unwanted sound, etc..
At least there's quiet here.
- Synonyms:
- silence
-
freedom from disturbance or tumult; tranquility; rest; repose.
This little beach is known for its quiet, but today a rowdy group of tourists is having a clambake.
-
peace; peaceful condition of affairs.
adjective
-
characterized by an absence or near absence of noise
a quiet street
-
characterized by an absence of turbulent motion or disturbance; peaceful, calm, or tranquil
a quiet glade
the sea is quiet tonight
-
free from activities, distractions, worries, etc; untroubled
a quiet life
a quiet day at work
-
marked by an absence of work, orders, etc; not busy
the factory is very quiet at the moment
-
private; not public; secret
a quiet word with someone
-
free from anger, impatience, or other extreme emotion
a quiet disposition
-
free from pretentiousness or vain display; modest or reserved
quiet humour
-
astronomy (of the sun) exhibiting a very low number of sunspots, solar flares, and other surface phenomena; inactive Compare active
noun
-
the state of being silent, peaceful, or untroubled
-
without other people knowing; secretly
verb
Synonym Usage
See still 1.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Adjectives
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
quietsimple
-
quietssimple
-
have quietedperfect
-
has quietedperfect
-
am quietingprogressive
-
are quietingprogressive
-
is quietingprogressive
-
have been quietingperfect progressive
-
has been quietingperfect progressive
Past
-
quietedsimple
-
had quietedperfect
-
was quietingprogressive
-
were quietingprogressive
-
had been quietingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of quiet
First recorded in 1350–1400; Middle English adjective quiet(e), quite, from Old French quiet, quiete, and Latin quiētus, past participle of quiescere “to rest, rest in sleep, rest from toil”; Middle English verb quieten, partly derivative of the adjective, partly from Late Latin quiētāre “to calm,” derivative of quiētus; see also coy, quiescent
Explanation
To be quiet means you don't make any noise. When you’re trying not to wake a sleeping lion, you will be quiet when you run by it. The versatile quiet, which can be a noun, adjective, or verb (to quiet others), is one of those words that is best understood through its antonyms — loud or hectic. Let a marching band practice in your apartment, and you will long for a little quiet. Quiet is one of those words that thankfully follow the "i" before "e," except after "c" spelling rule.
Vocabulary lists containing quiet
Scrabble: Words that Begin with Q
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Vocabulary Review, Unit 4
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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.
See Examples For:
The coming week is expected to be relatively quiet, with no major economic reports scheduled.
From MarketWatch ● Aug. 16, 2026
Sitting in matching recliners earlier this summer, she and her mother explained that they once had a quiet life.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 16, 2026
Yasukuni this week also appealed to visitors to refrain from wearing military-style uniforms so that the "general public can worship in peace and quiet at our shrine".
From Barron's ● Aug. 15, 2026
"Only more capable diplomacy through quiet and confidential engagement can deliver the change," says a former Afghan official who's been involved in discreet discussions with Taliban officials.
From BBC ● Aug. 14, 2026
The drumbeats from the parking lot came to a stop, allowing a moment of quiet to settle over the drive-in—a peaceful pocket of rest where one song ended, and another began.
From "Legendary Frybread Drive-In" by Cynthia Leitich Smith
For Codona, who is now living a quieter life, surrounded by his family, there is "no incentive in the planning system" for enough sites to be approved.
From BBC ● Aug. 15, 2026
Even as political campaigns experiment with more outlandish applications of the technology, many have already been using AI in quieter ways, including to compose tailored mailings and participate in digital chat rooms, Romero said.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 11, 2026
Her favorite part of the trip was visiting the quieter island of Sifnos, where they enjoyed drinks at a cliff-side wine bar.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 10, 2026
A bold idea, some flawed early studies, a fierce backlash – and then, years later, a quieter, more careful return to the question.
From Science Daily ● Aug. 7, 2026
We all make it into the cafeteria, which is somehow quieter than the library, maybe because of the teachers patrolling the edges of the room.
From "King and the Dragonflies" by Kacen Callender
America’s quietest lender is now fighting a bond crisis at home, and this week’s Bank of Japan meeting is the tell.
From MarketWatch ● Jul. 28, 2026
“Universal says they want to be a good neighbor. They made a big deal about making it the quietest coaster ever. Well, that’s nice, but you can’t put tape over people’s mouths.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 24, 2026
Existing forecasting methods generally provide less advance notice because scientists must wait until the Sun reaches solar minimum, the quietest part of its cycle.
From Science Daily ● Jul. 21, 2026
Monday was the quietest day for crossings of Hormuz by commodity vessels since June 13, before the preliminary deal briefly boosted traffic through the strait.
From Barron's ● Jul. 14, 2026
“You’re the quietest boy in the history of the whole Salinas family,” his mother used to say.
From "Hello, Universe" by Erin Entrada Kelly
When 19th Street quiets down around midnight, the party shifts to the Sanchaung area.
From Barron's ● Jun. 12, 2026
If the Iran conflict is resolved and inflation quiets down, the economy could even see another burst of growth.
From MarketWatch ● Apr. 28, 2026
Gabapentin quiets nerve firing in the spinal cord and brain.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 25, 2025
Mr. LaChapelle said Mr. Card had bought the silencer — a device that quiets gun shots — from another store, and that store sent it to Coastal Defense Firearms for pickup.
From New York Times ● Oct. 29, 2023
The gravel quiets to smooth, yellow dust and I slow down before Mother sees how fast I’m driving.
From "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett
The group quieted down like scandalized school children.
From Salon ● May 29, 2026
Even as protests have quieted, repression continues in other forms.
From BBC ● Feb. 6, 2026
JPMorgan’s expense guidance “has actually quieted some fears,” Piper Sandler analyst Scott Siefers wrote in a recent client note, citing conversations with investors.
From Barron's ● Jan. 12, 2026
A long-awaited swish finally quieted a restless Phoenix crowd.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 14, 2025
One leg jerked in a solitary spasm which quieted gradually to a twitch and then stopped.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
Instead of quieting the rumors, it lengthened the story’s time in the news cycle.
From Salon ● Apr. 24, 2026
"This offers a tangible path toward creating a medication that has a similar quieting effect as meditation."
From Science Daily ● Jan. 2, 2026
And yet it is precisely a lack of hyperbole or hysteria—a quieting control, one might say—that makes it so moving.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Dec. 31, 2025
But by mid-evening Sunday, he added, “Things are pretty much quieting down, for the most part. ... The good news is, without a lot of storm activity, perhaps aviation-related tactics can be resumed.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 9, 2024
She began hollering. my mother said, quieting her.
From "Kaffir Boy: An Autobiography" by Mark Mathabane
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.
