. In DICTIOUS you will not only get to know all the dictionary meanings for the word
, but we will also tell you about its etymology, its characteristics and you will know how to say
in singular and plural. Everything you need to know about the word
you have here. The definition of the word
will help you to be more precise and correct when speaking or writing your texts. Knowing the definition of
, as well as those of other words, enriches your vocabulary and provides you with more and better linguistic resources.
English
Etymology
From Middle English quiete, from Old French quiet (adjective) and quiete (noun), from Latin quiētus, past participle of quiēscere (“to keep quiet, rest”), ultimately from Proto-Indo-European *kʷyeh₁- (“rest”). Doublet of coy and quietus.
Pronunciation
Adjective
quiet (comparative quieter or more quiet, superlative quietest or most quiet)
- With little or no sound; free of disturbing noise.
I can't hear the music; it is too quiet.
- Having little motion or activity; calm.
the sea was quiet
a quiet night at home
all quiet on the Western front
- Not busy, of low quantity.
The traffic was quiet for a Monday morning.
Business was quiet for the season.
1963, Margery Allingham, chapter 8, in The China Governess: A Mystery, London: Chatto & Windus, →OCLC:It was a casual sneer, obviously one of a long line. There was hatred behind it, but of a quiet, chronic type, nothing new or unduly virulent, and he was taken aback by the flicker of amazed incredulity that passed over the younger man's ravaged face.
- Not talking much or not talking loudly; reserved.
He's a very quiet man usually, but is very chatty after a few beers.
- Not showy; undemonstrative.
a quiet dress
quiet colours
a quiet movement
- (software) Requiring little or no interaction.
a quiet install
Quotations
Synonyms
Antonyms
Derived terms
Translations
with little sound
- Afrikaans: stil
- Albanian: i qetë (sq)
- Amharic: please add this translation if you can
- Arabic: صَامِت (ṣāmit), هَادِئ (hādiʔ)
- Egyptian Arabic: هادي (hādi)
- Aragonese: please add this translation if you can
- Armenian: հանգիստ (hy) (hangist), հանդարտ (hy) (handart)
- Aromanian: tãcut
- Asturian: quietu, silenciosu
- Azerbaijani: səssiz (az)
- Bashkir: шым (şım), тыныс (tınıs)
- Belarusian: ці́хі (be) (cíxi)
- Bengali: শান্ত (bn) (śanto), খামোশ (bn) (khamōś)
- Breton: sioul (br)
- Bulgarian: тих (bg) (tih)
- Burmese: ဆိတ် (my) (hcit)
- Catalan: silenciós (ca), tranquil (ca)
- Chamicuro: chkesi
- Cherokee: ᎡᎷᏪᎢ (eluwei), ᎡᏝᏪᎢ (etlawei)
- Chickasaw: chokkíllissa
- Chinese:
- Mandarin: 安靜/安静 (zh) (ānjìng), 寧靜/宁静 (zh) (níngjìng)
- Czech: tichý (cs)
- Danish: stille (da), tyst
- Dutch: stil (nl), rustig (nl), vredig (nl), geruisloos (nl), geluidloos (nl)
- Esperanto: mallaŭta
- Estonian: vaikne
- Finnish: hiljainen (fi), äänetön (fi)
- French: calme (fr), silencieux (fr)
- Friulian: cuiet, cujet
- Galician: silencioso, silandeiro, calmo
- Georgian: ხმადაბალი (xmadabali), ჩუმი (čumi), წყნარი (ka) (c̣q̇nari), უხმაურო (uxmauro)
- German: still (de), ruhig (de), leise (de)
- Greek: ήρεμος (el) (íremos), σιγανός (el) (siganós), σιωπηλός (el) (siopilós)
- Ancient: ἤρεμος (ḗremos)
- Gujarati: please add this translation if you can
- Hausa: shuru
- Hebrew: שֶׁקֶט (he) (shakét)
- Hindi: ख़ामोश (xāmoś)
- Hungarian: csendes (hu), halk (hu)
- Icelandic: hljóður (is)
- Ido: quieta (io)
- Ingrian: hiljain, äänetöin
- Interlingua: quiete
- Irish: ciúin
- Italian: quieto (it), silenzioso (it)
- Japanese: 静かな (ja) (しずかな, shizuka na)
- Kannada: please add this translation if you can
- Kazakh: тыныш (tynyş)
- Khmer: ស្ងាត់ (km) (sngat)
- Korean: 조용하다 (ko) (joyonghada)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: ھێمن (ckb) (hêmin), وسکت (wiskit)
- Kyrgyz: тынч (ky) (tınc)
- Laboya: kawannara, karadda, kaʼdanna
- Lao: ງຽບ (ngīap), ຈ້ອຽ (chǭi)
- Latin: tacitus, silens (la)
- Latvian: kluss
- Lithuanian: tylus
- Luxembourgish: roueg, stëll, lues
- Macedonian: ти́вок (tívok), тих (tih)
- Malay: diam (ms), senyap (ms)
- Jawi: ديام, سڽڤ
- Malayalam: please add this translation if you can
- Maltese: please add this translation if you can
- Maori: māika, hū
- Marathi: शांत (śānta)
- Mirandese: please add this translation if you can
- Mizo: reh
- Mongolian: тайван (mn) (tajvan), тогтуун (mn) (togtuun)
- Northern Sami: jaskat
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: stille (no)
- Nynorsk: stille
- Occitan: silenciós (oc)
- Odia: please add this translation if you can
- Ottoman Turkish: صوص (sus), خاموش (hamuş)
- Pashto: please add this translation if you can
- Persian: خاموش (fa) (xâmuš), آرام (fa) (ârâm), کم صدا (kam sedâ)
- Plautdietsch: stell
- Polish: cichy (pl) m
- Portuguese: quieto (pt), silencioso (pt)
- Punjabi: ਚੁੱਪ-ਚਾਪ (cuppa-cāp)
- Rajasthani: please add this translation if you can
- Romanian: încet (ro), liniștit (ro), silențios (ro)
- Russian: ти́хий (ru) (tíxij)
- Samoan: fīlēmū
- Sardinian: please add this translation if you can
- Scottish Gaelic: sèimh, sàmhach, socair, ciùin
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: ти̏х
- Roman: tȉh (sh)
- Sicilian: cuetu (scn), quetu (scn)
- Sinhalese: නිශ්ශබ්ද (niśśabda)
- Slovak: tichý
- Slovene: tih (sl)
- Sorbian:
- Lower Sorbian: śichy
- Spanish: quieto (es), silencioso (es), tranquilo (es), calmo (es), pacífico (es), silente (es), callado (es)
- Swedish: tyst (sv), stilla (sv)
- Tajik: паст (tg) (past)
- Tamil: please add this translation if you can
- Telugu: నిశ్శబ్దం (te) (niśśabdaṁ)
- Tetum: nonook
- Thai: เงียบ (th) (ngîiap), นิ่ง (th) (nîng), สงบ (th) (sà-ngòp)
- Tongan: longo
- Turkish: sessiz (tr)
- Turkmen: ýuwaş, sessiz
- Ukrainian: ти́хий (týxyj)
- Urdu: خاموش (xāmoś)
- Uzbek: tinch (uz)
- Venetian: chieto, chiet, cet (vec), poxado, cucio
- Vietnamese: yên tĩnh (vi) (安靜), im lặng (vi) (of a person)
- Volapük: stilik (vo)
- Walloon: påjhire (wa) m or f, påjhûle (wa) m or f
- Yiddish: שטיל (shtil), רויִק (ruik)
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having little motion
- Armenian: հանգիստ (hy) (hangist), հանդարտ (hy) (handart)
- Bashkir: тыныс (tınıs)
- Basque: bare
- Bulgarian: мирен (bg) (miren), спокоен (bg) (spokoen)
- Catalan: quiet (ca), tranquil (ca)
- Chickasaw: chokkíllissa
- Czech: klidný (cs)
- Dutch: rustig (nl), kalm (nl)
- Esperanto: trankvila (eo)
- Finnish: hiljainen (fi), rauhallinen (fi)
- French: tranquille (fr), calme (fr), paisible (fr)
- Galician: quieto (gl)
- Georgian: წყნარი (ka) (c̣q̇nari), მშვიდი (mšvidi)
- German: still (de)
- Greek: ήσυχος (el) (ísychos)
- Ancient: ἥσυχος (hḗsukhos)
- Italian: calmo (it)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: ھێمن (ckb) (hêmin)
- Latin: tranquillus
- Maori: maho
- Northern Sami: hiljit
- Norwegian: rolig (no)
- Ottoman Turkish: ساكن (sakin), دولك (dölek)
- Persian: آرام (fa) (ârâm)
- Polish: spokojny (pl) m
- Portuguese: quieto (pt)
- Romanian: liniștit (ro), calm (ro)
- Russian: споко́йный (ru) (spokójnyj)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: ми́ран, спо̏ко̄ја̄н
- Roman: míran (sh), spȍkōjān (sh)
- Sinhalese: නිශ්චල (niścala)
- Spanish: tranquilo (es), detenido (es), quieto (es), calmo (es)
- Swedish: lugn (sv)
- Telugu: ప్రశాంతం (te) (praśāntaṁ)
- Ukrainian: спокі́йний (spokíjnyj)
- Walloon: påjhire (wa) m or f, påjhûle (wa)
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not talking
- Armenian: լռակյաց (hy) (lṙakyacʻ)
- Asturian: calláu, quietu
- Bashkir: шым (şım), тыныс (tınıs)
- Bulgarian: мълчалив (bg) (mǎlčaliv)
- Catalan: silenciós (ca)
- Chickasaw: chokkíllissa
- Czech: tichý (cs)
- Danish: stille (da)
- Dutch: zwijgzaam (nl), stil (nl), rustig (nl)
- Estonian: vaikne, tasane
- Finnish: hiljainen (fi), vaisu (fi)
- French: silencieux (fr), discret (fr)
- Georgian: ჩუმი (čumi)
- German: ruhig (de), still (de)
- Greek: ήρεμος (el) (íremos)
- Ingrian: hiljain, äänetöin
- Italian: quieto (it), taciturno (it)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: وسکت (wiskit)
- Latin: tacitus
- Latvian: kluss
- Maori: māika, whakatakupe
- Norwegian:
- Bokmål: stille (no)
- Nynorsk: stille
- Persian: آرام (fa) (ârâm), کم گوی (kam guy)
- Portuguese: calado (pt), silencioso (pt)
- Romanian: tăcut (ro), silențios (ro)
- Russian: споко́йный (ru) (spokójnyj), ти́хий (ru) (tíxij)
- Serbo-Croatian:
- Cyrillic: (please verify) шу̀тљив
- Roman: (please verify) šùtljiv (sh)
- Sinhalese: නිශ්ශබ්ද (niśśabda)
- Spanish: reservado (es), callado (es), silencioso (es)
- Swedish: tyst (sv)
- Telugu: మౌనం (te) (maunaṁ)
- Turkish: suskun (tr)
- Walloon: sins brut (wa)
- Yiddish: רויִק (ruik)
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Translations to be checked
Verb
quiet (third-person singular simple present quiets, present participle quieting, simple past and past participle quieted)
- (transitive) To cause (someone or something) to become quiet.
- Synonyms: quiet down, quieten
Can you quiet your child? He’s making lots of noise.
The umpire quieted the crowd so the game could continue in peace.
1631, Saint Augustine, “He Admires Gods Majesty, and is Inflamed with a Deepe Desire of Praising Him”, in William Watts, transl., Saint Augustines Confessions Translated: , London: Iohn Norton, for Iohn Partridge , →OCLC, book 1, paragraph 1, page 2:For thou haſt created us for thy ſelfe, and our heart cannot be quieted till it may fine repoſe in thee.
- (intransitive) To become quiet or calm.
- Synonyms: quiet down, quieten
When you quiet, we can start talking.
Translations
to cause (someone or something) to become quiet
- Bulgarian: успокоявам (bg) (uspokojavam)
- Catalan: calmar (ca)
- Dutch: kalmeren (nl)
- Finnish: hiljentää (fi), rauhoittaa (fi)
- French: apaiser (fr), calmer (fr)
- Friulian: cuietâ
- Georgian: გაჩუმება (gačumeba)
- German: ruhen (de)
- Italian: calmare (it), placare (it)
- Latin: pācō (la)
- Maori: whakamūmū
- Northern Sami: jaskkodahttit, váidudit
- Polish: (sound) uciszać (pl) impf, uciszyć (pl) pf, (sound/motion) uspokajać (pl) impf, uspokoić (pl) pf
- Portuguese: silenciar (pt), tranquilizar (pt), acalmar (pt)
- Russian: успока́ивать (ru) impf (uspokáivatʹ), успоко́ить (ru) pf (uspokóitʹ)
- Spanish: calmar (es), callar (es)
- Swedish: tysta (sv)
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to become quiet or calm
- Bulgarian: стихвам (bg) (stihvam), успокоявам се (uspokojavam se)
- Dutch: kalmeren (nl), rustig worden
- Finnish: hiljentyä (fi), rauhoittua (fi)
- French: s’apaiser (fr), se calmer (fr), se taire (fr), se tranquilliser (fr)
- Georgian: გაჩუმება (gačumeba)
- Northern Sami: jaskkodit, váidut
- Old English: gestillan
- Persian: ساکت شدن (fa) (sâket šodan), آرام شدن (fa) (ârâm šodan)
- Polish: (exclusively for sound) uciszyć się pf, zamilknąć (pl) pf, (sound/motion) uspokajać się impf, uspokoić się pf
- Quechua: upallay
- Russian: успока́иваться (ru) impf (uspokáivatʹsja), успоко́иться (ru) pf (uspokóitʹsja)
- Spanish: callar (es)
- Swedish: tystna (sv)
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Translations to be checked
Noun
quiet (plural quiets)
- The absence of sound; quietness.
There was a strange quiet in the normally very lively plaza.
We need a bit of quiet before we can start the show.
- The absence of movement; stillness, tranquility.
- The absence of disturbance or trouble; peace, security.
1593, anonymous author, The Life and Death of Iacke Straw , Act III:The King & his Nobles thinke they may ſleepe in quiet,
Now they haue giuen vs a little holy water at the Court,
But thers no ſuch matter, we be no ſuch fooles,
To be bobd out with words and after come to hanging: […]
Translations
absence of sound
- Adyghe: шъэфы (ŝɛfə)
- Armenian: լռություն (hy) (lṙutʻyun)
- Azerbaijani: səssizlik, sakitlik, sükut (az)
- Bulgarian: тишина (bg) f (tišina)
- Czech: ticho (cs) n
- Danish: stilhed (da) c, ro (da) c
- Egyptian: (sgr)
- Esperanto: kvieto
- Finnish: hiljaisuus (fi)
- French: silence (fr)
- Georgian: სიჩუმე (sičume), სიწყნარე (sic̣q̇nare)
- Greek: ησυχία (el) f (isychía)
- Ancient: σιγή f (sigḗ), σιωπή f (siōpḗ)
- Hindi: ख़ामोशी f (xāmośī)
- Hungarian: csend (hu), nyugalom (hu)
- Irish: ciúnas (ga) m
- Italian: silenzio (it) m
- Japanese: 沈黙 (ja) (chinmoku), 静寂 (ja) (seijaku)
- Kabardian: щэху (kbd) (śɛxʷu)
- Kurdish:
- Central Kurdish: ھێمن (ckb) (hêmin), وسکت (wiskit)
- Latin: silentium n
- Latvian: klusums m
- Northern Sami: jaskatvuohta
- Portuguese: calada (pt) f, silêncio (pt) m
- Punjabi: ਚੁੱਪੀ f (cuppī)
- Russian: тишина́ (ru) f (tišiná)
- Scottish Gaelic: sàmhchair f, tosd m
- Spanish: silencio (es) m
- Swedish: tystnad (sv) c
- Telugu: నిశ్శబ్దం (te) (niśśabdaṁ)
- Urdu: خاموشی (xāmośī)
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Translations to be checked
Interjection
quiet
- Be quiet.
Quiet! The children are sleeping.
Related terms
Further reading
- “quiet”, in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, Springfield, Mass.: G. & C. Merriam, 1913, →OCLC.
- “quiet”, in The Century Dictionary , New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911, →OCLC.
- “quiet”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.
- Douglas Harper (2001–2024) “quiet”, in Online Etymology Dictionary.
Anagrams
Catalan
Etymology
First attested in 1490.. Borrowed from Latin quiētus; compare also the Old Catalan form quet, queda, which was likely inherited.
Pronunciation
Adjective
quiet (feminine quieta, masculine plural quiets, feminine plural quietes)
- calm, stopped
- quiet
Synonyms
Related terms
Copallén
Noun
quiet
- water
References
- Willem F. H. Adelaar, The Languages of the Andes
French
Etymology
Borrowed from Latin quiētus, from quiēs (“rest”). Doublet of coi, which was inherited, and quitte, another borrowing.
Pronunciation
Adjective
quiet (feminine quiète, masculine plural quiets, feminine plural quiètes)
- (rare, literary) tranquil, peaceful, placid
1921, Marcel Proust, Le Côté de Guermantes, section II:Alors en regardant, en écoutant Mme de Guermantes, je voyais, prisonnier dans la perpétuelle et quiète après-midi de ses yeux, un ciel d’Ile-de-France ou de Champagne se tendre […] .- So when I watched and listened to Mme de Guermantes, I saw, a prisoner in the perpetual and placid afternoon of her eyes, an Ile-de-France or Champagne sky stretching out…
Usage notes
Its antonym inquiet is much more common.
Synonyms
Related terms
Further reading
Occitan
Etymology
From Latin quiētus.
Pronunciation
Adjective
quiet m (feminine singular quieta, masculine plural quiets, feminine plural quietas)
- calm, stopped
- quiet
Synonyms