quiet1

[kwahy-it] /ˈkwaɪ ɪt/
adjective, quieter, quietest.
1.
making no noise or sound, especially no disturbing sound:
quiet neighbors.
2.
free, or comparatively free, from noise:
a quiet street.
3.
silent:
Be quiet!
4.
restrained in speech, manner, etc.; saying little:
a quiet person.
5.
free from disturbance or tumult; tranquil; peaceful:
a quiet life.
6.
being at rest.
7.
refraining or free from activity, especially busy or vigorous activity:
a quiet Sunday afternoon.
8.
making no disturbance or trouble; not turbulent; peaceable:
The factions remained quiet for twenty years.
9.
motionless or moving very gently:
quiet waters.
10.
free from disturbing thoughts, emotions, etc.; mentally peaceful:
a quiet conscience.
11.
said, expressed, done, etc., in a restrained or unobtrusive way:
a quiet reproach; a quiet admonition.
12.
not showy or obtrusive; subdued:
quiet colors.
13.
not busy or active:
The stock market was quiet last week.
verb (used with object)
14.
to make quiet.
15.
to make tranquil or peaceful; pacify:
to quiet a crying baby.
16.
to calm mentally, as a person.
17.
to allay (tumult, doubt, fear, etc.).
18.
to silence.
verb (used without object)
19.
to become quiet (often followed by down).
Origin
1350-1400; (adj.) Middle English (< Middle French) < Latin quiētus, past participle of quiēscere (see quiescent); (v.) Middle English quieten, partly derivative of the adj., partly < Late Latin quiētāre, derivative of quiētus. Cf. coy
Related forms
quieter, noun
quietly, adverb
quietness, noun
unquieted, adjective
unquieting, adjective
Can be confused
quietness, quietude.
Synonyms
2. See still1 . 5. calm, serene. 9. unmoving. 14. still, hush, silence. 15, 17. lull, soothe.
Antonyms
2. noisy. 5. perturbed. 9. active.

quiet2

[kwahy-it] /ˈkwaɪ ɪt/
noun
1.
freedom from noise, unwanted sound, etc.:
At least there's quiet here.
2.
freedom from disturbance or tumult; tranquillity; rest; repose:
to live in quiet.
3.
peace; peaceful condition of affairs.
Origin
1300-50; Middle English quiet(e) (< Middle French quiete) < Latin quiēt- (stem of quiēs) rest, peace; akin to quiēscere (see quiescent)
Synonyms
1. silence. 2. calm, stillness.
Antonyms
1. noise. 2. disturbance.
Examples from the web for quiet
  • Others take a quiet approach and simply confront the animals with a silent stare.
  • Windmills-clean, quiet, simple and endlessly renewable-may be the ultimate icons of green energy.
  • Action with explosive sound effects, as well as drama with quiet orchestration.
  • After a few seconds of quiet, the researchers cued up the next sound and the process began again.
  • It's so peaceful, quiet, and conducive to good thinking time away from production mode.
  • These examples of quiet, calm behaviour are incredibly different from previous anecdotes.
  • It's a quiet, peaceful, unusually warm fall morning for Maine's central coast.
  • Nearly everyone is gone, and the halls are quiet.
  • It's such a quiet Sunday afternoon.
  • With the economic disasters, this job season feels terribly quiet.
British Dictionary definitions for quiet

quiet

/ˈkwaɪət/
adjective
1.
characterized by an absence or near absence of noise: a quiet street
2.
characterized by an absence of turbulent motion or disturbance; peaceful, calm, or tranquil: a quiet glade, the sea is quiet tonight
3.
free from activities, distractions, worries, etc; untroubled: a quiet life, a quiet day at work
4.
marked by an absence of work, orders, etc; not busy: the factory is very quiet at the moment
5.
private; not public; secret: a quiet word with someone
6.
free from anger, impatience, or other extreme emotion: a quiet disposition
7.
free from pretentiousness or vain display; modest or reserved: quiet humour
8.
(astronomy) (of the sun) exhibiting a very low number of sunspots, solar flares, and other surface phenomena; inactive Compare active (sense 8)
noun
9.
the state of being silent, peaceful, or untroubled
10.
on the quiet, without other people knowing; secretly
verb
11.
a less common word for quieten
Derived Forms
quietness, noun
Word Origin
C14: from Latin quiētus, past participle of quiēscere to rest, from quiēs repose, rest
Word Origin and History for quiet
n.

c.1300, "freedom from disturbance or conflict; calm, stillness," from Old French quiete "rest, repose, tranquility" and directly from Latin quies (genitive quietis) "a lying still, rest, repose, peace," from PIE root *qwi- "rest" (cf. Old Persian shiyati-, Avestan shaiti- "well-being;" Avestan shyata- "happy;" Gothic hveila, Old English hwil "space of time;" see while (n.)). Late 14c. as "inactivity, rest, repose."

adj.

late 14c., "peaceable, at rest, restful, tranquil," from Old French quiet and directly from Latin quietus "calm, at rest, free from exertion," from quies (genitive quietis) "rest" (see quiet (n.)). As an adverb from 1570s. Related: Quietly; quietness.

v.

late 14c., "subdue, lessen," from quiet (adj.) and in part from Latin quietare. From mid-15c. as "to make silent, cause to be quiet;" intransitive sense of "become quiet, be silent" is from 1791. Related: Quieted; quieting.

Idioms and Phrases with quiet

quiet

In addition to the idiom beginning with
quiet
also see: