quite

adverb

ˈkwīt 

1

: wholly, completely

not quite finished

2

: to an extreme : positively

quite sure

—often used as an intensifier with a

quite a swell guy

quite a beauty

3

: to a considerable extent : rather

quite near

see also:

quite a bit quite a few

Synonyms of quite

• completely
• totally
• fully
• perfectly
• utterly
• all
• even
• wholly
• thoroughly
• well
• fast
• entirely
• exactly
• absolutely
• wide

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.

Recent Examples on the Web

Few countries have felt the force of the insect’s impact quite like South Africa. — Jack Bantock, CNN Money, 13 Aug. 2026

Indeed, the global benchmark for oil futures was trading just below $90 per barrel late on Tuesday—quite high, but well below the war’s late-April peak of $124. — Jordan Blum, Fortune, 12 Aug. 2026

Ventura-Franken-Tafoya may not be quite on the level of Reagan-Schwarzenegger-Sonny Bono, that hat trick of California icons. — Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 12 Aug. 2026

Additionally, Road & Track points out that the starting price of a 911 has also risen quite dramatically during the years that were analyzed. — Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 12 Aug. 2026

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from quite, adjective, quit

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing quite

• for (quite) some time
• get/take quite a hammering
• quite a bit
• quite a few
• quite apart from
• quite a while
• quite right
• quite something
• quite some time
• quite the reverse

Rhymes for quite

• bight
• bite
• blight
• byte
• cite
• dight
• fight
• fite
• flight
• fright
• height
• hight

Kids Definition

quite

adverb

ˈkwīt 

1

: beyond question or doubt : completely

quite alone

quite sure

2

: more or less sense 1, rather

we live quite near the school