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
The characters in his orbit are quite strong in their own right, but here, as in The Office, Carell’s unflagging comedy prowess provides the energy that powers the narrative into full-on hilarity.
—Erin Qualey, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2026
Vi Lyles isn’t quite ready yet.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
The left-handed-hitting Verdugo was not long ago quite adept at hitting right-handed pitchers.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
And the stunts they were being told to do, were quite well choreographed.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 9 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for quite
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Erin Qualey, Vulture, 9 Mar. 2026
Vi Lyles isn’t quite ready yet.
—Théoden Janes, Charlotte Observer, 9 Mar. 2026
The left-handed-hitting Verdugo was not long ago quite adept at hitting right-handed pitchers.
—Kevin Acee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 Mar. 2026
And the stunts they were being told to do, were quite well choreographed.
—Glenn Garner, Deadline, 9 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 12 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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Merriam-Webster unabridged
