QUIET Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

QUIET Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster Est. 1828 Dictionary Definition noun adjective adverb verb noun 4 noun adjective adverb verb Synonyms Example Sentences Word History Phrases Containing Rhymes Entries Near Related Articles Cite this Entry Citation Kids Definition Kids Legal Definition Legal More from M-W Show more Show more Citation Kids Legal More from M-W Save Word To save this word, you'll need to log in. Log In quiet 1 of 4 noun qui·​et ˈkwī-ət Synonyms of quiet Simple Definition A Simple Definition is available from our Learner's Dictionary to help you understand the meaning faster. : the quality or state of being quiet (see quiet entry 2 ) : tranquility see also: on the quiet 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 Synonyms of quiet Relevance Noun restfulness serenity quietness sereneness calm Adjective peaceful serene calm placid restful Adverb quietly Verb cool hush See All Synonyms & Antonyms in Thesaurus 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 See More Recent Examples on the Web Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback . Noun Rooms The rooms at Senda are designed to blend with the lush backdrop and immerse guests in the quiet of the jungle. — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler , 3 May 2026 Against this backdrop, the current quiet does not signal restraint. — Will Walters, STAT , 23 Apr. 2026 Adjective As the Moon moves through your 12th House of Solitude, quiet focus strengthens your output and steadiness. — Tarot.com, The Orlando Sentinel , 29 Apr. 2026 Complete peace and quiet might sound nice to the most intelligent person on the planet, but most people aren’t suited for an apocalypse. — Ben Rosenstock, Vulture , 29 Apr. 2026 Adverb Some workers just quiet -quit, doing the minimum to hold on to their jobs. — Christopher Dinsmore, Baltimore Sun , 8 Dec. 2022 On another end were the quiet -seeking bedrooms and bathrooms, one with a step-down Roman shower. — oregonlive , 7 Nov. 2022 Verb The Lightning were the only ones to take advantage of all the power plays, with Point scoring his first of the series to tie the game 1-1 in the first period and quiet the raucous Bell Centre crowd, at least temporarily, allowing Tampa Bay to settle into the game. — Arpon Basu, New York Times , 25 Apr. 2026 Now, even as the guns have temporarily quieted , the core conditions that led to the war remain unchanged — leaving negotiators to grapple with the same unresolved question at the heart of the conflict. — Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com , 23 Apr. 2026 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 *k w i̯eh 1 -ti-, noun derivative of a verbal base *k w i̯eh 1 - "have a rest," whence Avestan š́iiā- "be glad," Old Church Slavic počijǫ, počiti "to have a rest" (causative pokojǫ, pokoiti "to calm, quiet"), Armenian han geaw "has rested," and (from deverbal *k w i̯eh 1 -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 See more words from the same century Phrases Containing quiet as quiet as a mouse hold a quiet conversation keep quiet keep quiet about on the quiet peace and quiet quiet down quiet quit quiet quitter quiet quitting Rhymes for quiet diet guyot piet riot disquiet panchayat unquiet See All Rhymes for quiet Browse Nearby Words quiescently quiet quiet day See all Nearby Words Articles Related to quiet A List of Most Commonly Confused Words Your one-stop clarification shop 8 Ways to Tell Someone to Be Quiet When shushing just isn't cutting it Cite this Entry Style MLA Chicago APA Merriam-Webster “Quiet.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary , Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quiet. Accessed 6 May. 2026. Copy Citation Kids Definition quiet 1 of 3 noun qui·​et ˈkwī-ət : 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 beco