| English Dictionary |
QUIET
| Pronunciation (US): |  | (GB): | |
| IPA (US): |  |
Dictionary entry overview: What does quiet mean?
• QUIET (noun)
The noun QUIET has 4 senses:
1. a period of calm weather
2. an untroubled state; free from disturbances
3. the absence of sound
4. a disposition free from stress or emotion
Familiarity information: QUIET used as a noun is uncommon.
• QUIET (adjective)
The adjective QUIET has 6 senses:
1. characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
2. free of noise or uproar; or making little if any sound
3. not showy or obtrusive
4. in a softened tone
5. (of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves
6. (of the sun) characterized by a low level of surface phenomena, such as sunspots
Familiarity information: QUIET used as an adjective is common.
• QUIET (verb)
The verb QUIET has 2 senses:
1. become quiet or quieter
2. make calm or still
Familiarity information: QUIET used as a verb is rare.
• QUIET (adverb)
The adverb QUIET has 1 sense:
1. with little or no activity or no agitation ('quiet' is a nonstandard variant for 'quietly')
Familiarity information: QUIET used as an adverb is very rare.
Dictionary entry details
Sense 1
Meaning:
A period of calm weather
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Synonyms:
lull; quiet
Context example:
there was a lull in the storm
Hypernyms ("quiet" is a kind of...):
calmness (an absence of strong winds or rain)
Sense 2
Meaning:
An untroubled state; free from disturbances
Classified under:
Nouns denoting stable states of affairs
Synonyms:
quiet; tranquility; tranquillity
Hypernyms ("quiet" is a kind of...):
order (established customary state (especially of society))
Sense 3
Meaning:
The absence of sound
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Synonyms:
quiet; silence
Context example:
the street was quiet
Hypernyms ("quiet" is a kind of...):
sound property (an attribute of sound)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "quiet"):
hush; still; stillness ((poetic) tranquil silence)
speechlessness (the property of being speechless)
quietness; soundlessness (the property of making no sound)
Derivation:
quiet (become quiet or quieter)
Sense 4
Meaning:
A disposition free from stress or emotion
Classified under:
Nouns denoting attributes of people and objects
Synonyms:
placidity; quiet; repose; serenity; tranquility; tranquillity
Hypernyms ("quiet" is a kind of...):
calm; calmness; composure; equanimity (steadiness of mind under stress)
Hyponyms (each of the following is a kind of "quiet"):
ataraxia (peace of mind)
Derivation:
quiet (make calm or still)
| Declension: comparative and superlative |
Superlative: quietest
Sense 1
Meaning:
Characterized by an absence or near absence of agitation or activity
Context example:
the factions remained quiet for almost 10 years
Similar:
quiescent (marked by a state of tranquil repose)
untroubled (free from turmoil or worries)
Also:
unagitated (not agitated or disturbed emotionally)
peaceable; peaceful (not disturbed by strife or turmoil or war)
tame (very restrained or quiet)
Antonym:
unquiet (characterized by unrest or disorder)
Derivation:
quietness (a state of peace and quiet)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Free of noise or uproar; or making little if any sound
Context example:
the room was dark and quiet
Similar:
noiseless (making no sound)
silent; soundless; still (marked by absence of sound)
stilly ((poetic) still or calm)
tiptoe (walking on the tips of ones's toes so as to make no noise)
Also:
inaudible; unhearable (impossible to hear; imperceptible by the ear)
soft ((of sound) relatively low in volume)
Antonym:
noisy (full of or characterized by loud and nonmusical sounds)
Derivation:
quietness (the property of making no sound)
Sense 3
Meaning:
Not showy or obtrusive
Synonyms:
quiet; restrained
Context example:
clothes in quiet good taste
Similar:
unostentatious; unpretending; unpretentious (not ostentatious)
Sense 4
Meaning:
In a softened tone
Synonyms:
Context example:
a quiet reprimand
Similar:
soft ((of sound) relatively low in volume)
Sense 5
Meaning:
(of a body of water) free from disturbance by heavy waves
Synonyms:
placid; quiet; smooth; still; tranquil; unruffled
Context example:
unruffled water
Similar:
calm ((of weather) free from storm or wind)
Derivation:
quietness (a state of peace and quiet)
Sense 6
Meaning:
(of the sun) characterized by a low level of surface phenomena, such as sunspots
Domain category:
astronomy; uranology (the branch of physics that studies celestial bodies and the universe as a whole)
Antonym:
active ((of the sun) characterized by an increased occurrence of sunspots and flares and radio emissions)
| Conjugation: |
... he / she / it quiets Past simple: quieted
Past participle: quieted
-ing form: quieting
Sense 1
Meaning:
Become quiet or quieter
Classified under:
Verbs of seeing, hearing, feeling
Synonyms:
hush; pipe down; quiesce; quiet; quiet down; quieten
Context example:
The audience fell silent when the speaker entered
Hypernyms (to "quiet" is one way to...):
change intensity (increase or decrease in intensity)
Verb group:
hush; hush up; quieten; shut up; silence; still (cause to be quiet or not talk)
Sentence frames:
Something ----s
Somebody ----s
Derivation:
quiet (the absence of sound)
Sense 2
Meaning:
Make calm or still
Classified under:
Verbs of feeling
Synonyms:
calm; calm down; lull; quiet; quieten; still; tranquilize; tranquillise; tranquillize
Context example:
quiet the dragons of worry and fear
Hypernyms (to "quiet" is one way to...):
comfort; console; solace; soothe (give moral or emotional strength to)
Troponyms (each of the following is one way to "quiet"):
lull (calm by deception)
compose (calm (someone, especially oneself); make quiet)
appease; assuage; conciliate; gentle; gruntle; lenify; mollify; pacify; placate (cause to be more favorably inclined; gain the good will of)
assure; reassure (cause to feel sure; give reassurance to)
Sentence frames:
Somebody ----s somebody
Something ----s somebody
Sentence example:
The performance is likely to quiet Sue
Derivation:
quiet (a disposition free from stress or emotion)
Sense 1
Meaning:
With little or no activity or no agitation ('quiet' is a nonstandard variant for 'quietly')
Synonyms:
quiet; quietly
Context example:
sit here as quiet as you can
Context examples
With so much going on with Capricorn planets, it is surprising that Mars will be unusually quiet and tucked away in your twelfth house of solitude.
(AstrologyZone.com, by Susan Miller)
Don't be alarmed, continued the strange being; she's a safe hand is Mrs. Poole: close and quiet; any one may repose confidence in her.
(Jane Eyre, by Charlotte Brontë)
The Scarecrow and the Tin Woodman stood up in a corner and kept quiet all night, although of course they could not sleep.
(The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, by L. Frank Baum)
But all was quiet, save that a strange, many-colored bird flew up from under his feet and vanished among the trees.
(The Lost World, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
"You said the other day that you'd be perfectly happy if you could only go to Annie Moffat's," observed Beth in her quiet way.
(Little Women, by Louisa May Alcott)
She is of a quiet nature.
(The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle)
Gretel wept bitter tears, and said to Hansel: “Now all is over with us.” “Be quiet, Gretel,” said Hansel, “do not distress yourself, I will soon find a way to help us.”
(Fairy Tales, by The Brothers Grimm)
Scarcely had they worked themselves into the quiet possession of a place, however, when her attention was claimed by John Thorpe, who stood behind her.
(Northanger Abbey, by Jane Austen)
Orbiting at the edge of the habitable zone of a quiet M-class star, instead of our Sun, could shorten the habitable period for the planet by a factor of about 5 to 20.
(Mars Mission Sheds Light on Habitability of Distant Planets, NASA)
In bed; needs assistance even for quiet play.
(Lansky Performance Status 30, NCI Thesaurus)
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