quiet

1 of 4

noun

qui·​et ˈkwī-ət How to pronounce quiet (audio)
: the quality or state of being quiet (see quiet entry 2) : tranquility

quiet

2 of 4

adjective

1
a
: free from noise or uproar : still
a quiet room
The lights went down and the theater became quiet.
b
: making or involving no noise or very little noise
a quiet motor
a quiet conversation
Everyone suddenly went quiet.
Please be quiet—people are trying to study.
c
: tending to speak very little : not loquacious
He was a quiet, reserved person.
d
: unobtrusive, conservative
quiet clothes/colors
2
a
: marked by little or no motion or activity : calm
a quiet sea
At such an early hour, the streets seemed strangely quiet.
b
: gentle, easygoing
a quiet temperament
c
: not disturbed by noise or activity
quiet reading
a moment of quiet contemplation
: enjoyed in peace and relaxation
a quiet cup of tea
3
: secluded
a quiet nook
4
: carried out secretly or discreetly
quiet diplomacy
: not made known openly or publicly
worked with quiet determination
She had a quiet confidence about her.
He took a quiet satisfaction in a job well done.
quietly adverb
quietness noun

quiet

3 of 4

adverb

: in a quiet manner
an engine that runs quiet

quiet

4 of 4

verb

quieted; quieting; quiets

transitive verb

1
: to cause to be quiet : calm
2
: to make secure by freeing from dispute or question
quiet title to a property

intransitive verb

: to become quiet
usually used with down
Phrases
on the quiet
: in a secretive manner : in secret

Examples of quiet in a Sentence

Noun My hostess told me she had some records I might like to hear and she called for quiet in the room. People sat down on the floor in groups, sharing bottles of wine and slivovitz. The host put the record on a windup record player and Lester Young's saxophone yowled out of the silence. Maya Angelou, Gourmet, November 2002
When my parents needed peace and quiet, they didn't put me in front of the television to watch a "Baby Einstein" video; they plopped me in a chair to watch my mom do housework or cook. Robb Moretti, Newsweek, 5 Aug. 2002
the quiet of a wooded trail Can I have some quiet here? I'm trying to study. I need a little peace and quiet. Adjective Breakfast at the Royal Bombay Yacht Club, a members-only institution founded in the city now called Mumbai in 1846 by British colonial officers, is a meal of quiet elegance. The second-story veranda looks out over a small garden and, beyond that, the Gateway of India and the Taj Mahal Hotel. Outside is the tumult of horse-drawn carriages, touts, and taxis. Inside is peaceful stillness, broken only by the sounds of crunched-on toast and rustling newspapers. Lyla Bavadam, Saveur, October 2008
One change I notice is that I get sleepy earlier than I used to, sometimes by 8:30 or 9 if I am having a quiet evening at home. Andrew Weil, Time, 17 Oct. 2005
I interviewed Virginia, who is totally blind, in a small local library. Walking with her guide dog, this young-looking woman arrived soon after I came in. We found a quiet corner to sit and talk while her dog settled beside her chair. At forty-three, Virginia was used to telling her story and found time for our interview in her busy travel schedule. She had just returned from San Francisco where she had spoken at the California Academy of Sciences and was about to leave for Montreal, Canada, to conduct workshops in diversity awareness. Mary Grimley Mason, Working Against Odds, 2004
Attributing their behaviors to their personal dispositions, we decide Julie is shy and Jack is outgoing. Because people do have enduring personality traits, such attributions are sometimes valid. However, we often overestimate the influence of personality and underestimate the influence of situations. In class, Jack may be as quiet as Julie. Catch Julie at a party and you may hardly recognize your quiet classmate. David G. Myers, Psychology, 2001
the quiet hum of the refrigerator He spoke in a very quiet voice. Surprisingly, the class was quiet. He's a very quiet person. She has a quiet disposition. During the morning, business was quiet. Some days at the store are quieter than others. a quiet stretch of road He led a quiet life. Adverb lie quiet and no one will guess you're hiding under the bed Verb Clemens had few questions to answer about Piazza. The beanball and broken bat from 2000, and the Mets' tepid retaliation last season, were memories. And since Clemens recorded his 300th victory on June 13, the buzz around him has quieted. Tyler Kepner, New York Times, 29 June 2003
When she walked down the hall past his classroom, the sounds of chaos came over the frosted-glass pane above the door. She had taken to making random visits; the sight of her in the doorway quieted the kids. Mary Gordon, Atlantic, May 1999
Even with that, Presser was so scared that he fled to Florida and moved from hotel to hotel till the gang war quieted down, with his side on top. A. H. Raskin, New York Times Book Review, 10 Dec. 1989
the museum docent told the rowdy youngsters to quiet down for the tour quiet a crying toddler with candy
Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Noun
Yaeji's With a Hammer takes one idea—namely, the volcano of rage that bubbled up inside the Korean-American artist during the quiet of the pandemic—and studies it from every angle. Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024 A certain quiet seemed to fill the large room, and soon Sereda explained more about his father. Chuck Culpepper, Washington Post, 29 July 2024
Adjective
However, in recent years, hotels like The Waldorf Astoria Las Vegas have been elevating the city with quiet opulence—sophisticated luxury with some of the most expensive rooms in the city. Kaila Yu, Forbes, 24 Oct. 2024 In the film, Glenn stars as Gene Lee Grady, a lonely military man mourning his late wife and living a quiet existence in his tidy house. William Earl, Variety, 24 Oct. 2024
Adverb
Cue the quiet-quitting backlash: The concept has sparked a flood of vehement commentary from business leaders, career coaches and other professionals lamenting what the shift away from hustle culture means for Americans’ commitment to their jobs, while some young professionals are praising it. Kathryn Dill and Angela Yang, WSJ, 25 Aug. 2022 Some workers just quiet-quit, doing the minimum to hold on to their jobs. Christopher Dinsmore, Baltimore Sun, 8 Dec. 2022
Verb
That may quiet a drama that keeps weighing on the minds of investors. Shawn Tully, Fortune, 11 Oct. 2024 Advertisement From start to finish, pure madness, amid a rabble that never calmed, never quieted, never quit. Bill Plaschke, Los Angeles Times, 6 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for quiet 

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English quiet, quiete, borrowed from Anglo-French quiete, borrowed from Latin quiēt-, quiēs "repose, sleep, rest, peaceful conditions," going back to Indo-European *kwi̯eh1-ti-, noun derivative of a verbal base *kwi̯eh1- "have a rest," whence Avestan š́iiā- "be glad," Old Church Slavic počijǫ, počiti "to have a rest" (causative pokojǫ, pokoiti "to calm, quiet"), Armenian hangeaw "has rested," and (from deverbal *kwi̯eh1-to-) Avestan š́iiāta- "peaceful, happy," Old Persian šiyāta-, Latin quiētus "at rest, quiet entry 2"

Adjective

Middle English quyet, quyete, quiete, borrowed from Anglo-French & Middle French quiete, borrowed from Latin quiētus "at rest, inactive, peaceful" — more at quiet entry 1

Adverb

derivative of quiet entry 2

Verb

Middle English quieten, borrowed from Late Latin quiētāre "to become quiet, make quiet, put to rest," derivative of Latin quiētus "at rest, quiet entry 2"

First Known Use

Noun

14th century, in the meaning defined above

Adjective

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2b

Adverb

1568, in the meaning defined above

Verb

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of quiet was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near quiet

Cite this Entry

“Quiet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quiet. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

quiet

1 of 3 noun
qui·​et ˈkwī-ət How to pronounce quiet (audio)
: the quality or state of being quiet

quiet

2 of 3 adjective
1
a
: marked by little or no motion, activity, or noise : calm
b
: gentle entry 1 sense 2b, easygoing
a quiet disposition
c
: not disturbed : peaceful
enjoyed a quiet dinner for two
2
: not colorful or showy : conservative
quiet clothes
3
: hidden from public view
a quiet corner
quiet adverb
quietly adverb
quietness noun

quiet

3 of 3 verb
: to make or become quiet
quieter noun

Legal Definition

quiet

1 of 2 adjective
qui·​et
: free from disturbance, interference, or dispute (as from an adverse claim)
quiet enjoyment of property

quiet

2 of 2 transitive verb
: to establish or make (title) secure by means of an action that produces a final determination of the respective rights of parties who are in dispute over property compare cloud on title

More from Merriam-Webster on quiet

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