quaintness

American  

[kwaynt-nis] / ˈkweɪnt nɪs /

noun

1. the quality of being quaint.

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Explanation

Quaintness is a quality of being sweetly old-fashioned and a little bit unusual. Although you find them a little creepy, you also appreciate the quaintness of the dolls in your grandma's collection. Think of a charming bed and breakfast decorated in a whimsical style — its quaintness is what's special about it, setting it apart from sleek, modern hotel rooms. There's often a touch of eccentricity in quaintness, like the curious quaintness of a neighbor whose house is lit with oil lamps and who wears a long, flowing cape. The original meaning of quaintness, "proudness or cunning," is obsolete.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

quaintness

“If we’re saying we will lose our quaintness because we have an address, I think that’s a false narrative,” she said.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 20, 2024

Some of the quaintness of the ride has been lost, of course, as commercialism took root along the route.

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 24, 2023

Celebration promised a throwback quaintness, the way towns allegedly were.

From Salon ● May 2, 2023

“Admittedly, Crumb has ‘reintroduced’ expressivity to avant-garde concerts, which comes as a quaintness to blasé ears,” he wrote, “but his music is nothing more than expressivity — hanging unqualified in air.”

From Washington Post ● Nov. 21, 2022

After all, the Latin terms survive more or less in free variation with the Greek, and Puttenham’s English equivalents are abundantly charming—albeit that charm is conditioned by a certain quaintness.

From "Words Like Loaded Pistols" by Sam Leith

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