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
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
Can’t quite put your finger on it?
—Usa Today, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
Nothing slows down the boarding process quite like unprepared passengers.
—Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 25 Nov. 2025
From a product perspective, the brand’s DNA includes the distinctive distressed denim application—what Edwards noted as still being quite prominent—as well as the iconic box cross logo.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 25 Nov. 2025
Temperatures in the South won’t be quite as brutal but will still grab attention.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quite
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Usa Today, USA Today, 25 Nov. 2025
Nothing slows down the boarding process quite like unprepared passengers.
—Julie Rousseau, Travel + Leisure, 25 Nov. 2025
From a product perspective, the brand’s DNA includes the distinctive distressed denim application—what Edwards noted as still being quite prominent—as well as the iconic box cross logo.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 25 Nov. 2025
Temperatures in the South won’t be quite as brutal but will still grab attention.
—Chris Dolce, CNN Money, 25 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for quite
Cite this Entry
“Quite.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quite. Accessed 27 Nov. 2025.
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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