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
Synonyms
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
In case after case, humanity returned the favor by successively destroying the forests, first in the Middle East, and Mediterranean, then in Europe and North America, all in our quest for building materials, fuel, open farm lands, and, quite importantly, masts.
—Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024
How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay
Though the property’s rates are quite high compared to most other resorts on the island, consider traveling during the off-season (April-July) to find a better deal.
—Jasmine Grant, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2024
Strolling out on stage in Milwaukee Friday night sporting quite possibly the tightest shirt and jeans ever worn (seriously, his belt buckle must have been holding on for dear life), the 56-year-old McGraw put his impressive fitness regimen to full effect with a high-energy, hour-and-37-minute set.
—Journal Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2024
The townsfolk never quite got used to the sight of Bowie and his wife Angie strolling down the sidewalk — he in a flowing gold maxi dress (later seen on the cover of The Man Who Sold the World) and she in jeans and a fur coat.
—Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
Staff writer Josh Rottenberg has an exclusive on the movie’s amazing practical stunts, which are quite possibly the best argument to add an Oscar category for stunt performers.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
So, there was a review in the science journal Nature, and it’s gotten a lot of attention for saying that your assertions that digital technologies are somehow rewiring our kids’ brains and causing an epidemic of mental illness is not quite supported by the science.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
Few shows have dominated the pop culture conversation quite like the reality shows on Bravo.
—Tim Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
And the movie theater industry has been hit quite hard by COVID, and it’s been slow to recover.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
Eugene Linden, TIME, 21 Apr. 2024
How to Get the Most Value Out of Your Stay
Though the property’s rates are quite high compared to most other resorts on the island, consider traveling during the off-season (April-July) to find a better deal.
—Jasmine Grant, Travel + Leisure, 20 Apr. 2024
Strolling out on stage in Milwaukee Friday night sporting quite possibly the tightest shirt and jeans ever worn (seriously, his belt buckle must have been holding on for dear life), the 56-year-old McGraw put his impressive fitness regimen to full effect with a high-energy, hour-and-37-minute set.
—Journal Sentinel, 20 Apr. 2024
The townsfolk never quite got used to the sight of Bowie and his wife Angie strolling down the sidewalk — he in a flowing gold maxi dress (later seen on the cover of The Man Who Sold the World) and she in jeans and a fur coat.
—Jordan Runtagh, Peoplemag, 20 Apr. 2024
Staff writer Josh Rottenberg has an exclusive on the movie’s amazing practical stunts, which are quite possibly the best argument to add an Oscar category for stunt performers.
—Jessica Gelt, Los Angeles Times, 20 Apr. 2024
So, there was a review in the science journal Nature, and it’s gotten a lot of attention for saying that your assertions that digital technologies are somehow rewiring our kids’ brains and causing an epidemic of mental illness is not quite supported by the science.
—David Remnick, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024
Few shows have dominated the pop culture conversation quite like the reality shows on Bravo.
—Tim Chan, The Hollywood Reporter, 18 Apr. 2024
And the movie theater industry has been hit quite hard by COVID, and it’s been slow to recover.
—Pamela McClintock, The Hollywood Reporter, 9 Apr. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'quite.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Quite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quite. Accessed 25 Apr. 2024.
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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