1
: wholly, completely
not quite finished
2
: to an extreme : positively
quite sure
—often used as an intensifier with aquite a swell guy
quite a beauty
3
: to a considerable extent : rather
quite near
see also:
Examples of quite in a Sentence
He felt that the world he had loved had quite gone.
—
Edmund Wilson, New York Times Book Review, 20 July 1986
The men who made love to the left-wing college girls were either medical students, who had contempt for them and forgot them, or jocks, who bragged falsely of having made conquests of quite other girls.
—Renata Adler, Pitch Dark, 1983
In my opinion, my work … ain't quite good enough …
—William Faulkner, in Faulkner in the University, (1959) 1977
Irene Franey, a little older than I, was quite a beauty
—John O'Hara, letter, 30 Dec. 1963
“Are you quite finished?” “Not quite.”
I am quite capable of doing it myself, thank you.
They assured me that I was quite mistaken.
We hadn't quite made up our minds.
She's quite right, you know.
I quite forgot your birthday.
No one realized quite what was happening.
Quite why he left is unclear.
That is not quite what I said.
Edmund Wilson, New York Times Book Review, 20 July 1986
The men who made love to the left-wing college girls were either medical students, who had contempt for them and forgot them, or jocks, who bragged falsely of having made conquests of quite other girls.
—Renata Adler, Pitch Dark, 1983
In my opinion, my work … ain't quite good enough …
—William Faulkner, in Faulkner in the University, (1959) 1977
Irene Franey, a little older than I, was quite a beauty
—John O'Hara, letter, 30 Dec. 1963
“Are you quite finished?” “Not quite.”
I am quite capable of doing it myself, thank you.
They assured me that I was quite mistaken.
We hadn't quite made up our minds.
She's quite right, you know.
I quite forgot your birthday.
No one realized quite what was happening.
Quite why he left is unclear.
That is not quite what I said.
Recent Examples on the Web
Lime was utilized in masonry bonding and surface finishing, so the exceptional find that has inspired locals to visit the site has opened a door onto the building blocks of the city, quite literally, the material and the methods that brought it to life.
—Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 23 Mar. 2026
Skunk Train describes its 25-mile Noyo excursion as a strenuous, lengthy trip that can be quite chilly during the cooler months.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 23 Mar. 2026
That image lodged itself somewhere deep in me and never quite left.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
No, quite literally, he was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quite
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Maria Mocerino, Interesting Engineering, 23 Mar. 2026
Skunk Train describes its 25-mile Noyo excursion as a strenuous, lengthy trip that can be quite chilly during the cooler months.
—Madison Dapcevich, Outside, 23 Mar. 2026
That image lodged itself somewhere deep in me and never quite left.
—Literary Hub, 23 Mar. 2026
No, quite literally, he was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2024.
—Pj Green, Kansas City Star, 23 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quite
Cite this Entry
“Quite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quite. Accessed 26 Mar. 2026.
Copy CitationKids Definition
quite
adverb1
: beyond question or doubt : completely
quite alone
quite sure
2
: more or less sense 1, rather
we live quite near the school
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