quiet
quiet
Pronunciation
/ˈkwaɪ.ət/.
Here's a breakdown of the sounds in each syllable:
First Syllable: /ˈkwaɪ/
/k/: Voiceless velar stop
/w/: Voiced labial-velar approximant
/aɪ/: Diphthong (as in "my" or "side")
Second Syllable: /ət/
/ə/: Schwa (mid-central vowel, as in the "a" in "sofa")
/t/: Voiceless alveolar stop
Word Form Variations
Adjective (positive degree): quiet (e.g., a quiet room)
Adjective (comparative degree): quieter (e.g., this room is quieter)
Adjective (superlative degree): quietest (e.g., this is the quietest room)
Adverb: quietly (e.g., he spoke quietly)
Noun: quiet (e.g., the quiet of the morning; seek quiet)
Verb: quiet (less common, but can be used as in to quiet someone down or the storm quieted)
Present Tense (third person singular): quiets
Present Participle/Gerund: quieting
Past Tense: quieted
Past Participle: quieted
Definitions, Synonyms and Antonyms
Adjective
Definition: Characterized by an absence of loud noise or sound; making little or no sound.
Synonyms: silent, hushed, still, calm, noiseless, soft, gentle
Antonyms: loud, noisy, clamorous, boisterous, raucous
Definition: Free from disturbance, agitation, or activity; peaceful and undisturbed.
Synonyms: tranquil, serene, peaceful, calm, undisturbed, placid
Antonyms: restless, turbulent, chaotic, agitated, bustling, busy
Definition: Not drawing attention to oneself; reserved or unobtrusive in manner or appearance.
Synonyms: reserved, reticent, discreet, unassuming, modest, subdued, understated
Antonyms: flashy, flamboyant, ostentatious, outspoken, bold, attention-seeking
Definition: (Of a color or design) Not bright or showy; muted or subtle.
Synonyms: subtle, muted, soft, understated, subdued, dull
Antonyms: vibrant, bright, gaudy, flashy, loud, glaring
Noun
Definition: A state of stillness, silence, or tranquility; an absence of noise or commotion.
Synonyms: silence, stillness, peace, tranquility, calm, serenity, hush
Antonyms: noise, clamor, uproar, commotion, din, disturbance, bustle
Verb
Definition: To make (something or someone) less noisy or agitated; to cause to become still or calm.
Synonyms: silence, hush, calm, still, soothe, pacify, tranquilize, subdue
Antonyms: rouse, agitate, excite, disturb, provoke, enliven, stir
Definition: To become less noisy, active, or agitated; to subside into a state of stillness or calm.
Synonyms: subside, abate, settle, calm down, still, die down, lessen
Antonyms: intensify, escalate, flare up, become agitated, erupt
Adverb
Definition: In a way that produces little or no sound; without making noise.
Synonyms: silently, softly, noiselessly, soundlessly, gently, secretly
Antonyms: loudly, noisily, audibly, boisterously, clamorously
Examples of Use
Books:
"All of a sudden it was quiet, you could feel the quiet, and then he said in a quiet voice, 'Why, it's a ladybug, ain't it?'" (Steinbeck, John. The Grapes of Wrath, April 1939)
"The silence in the room became profound, a quiet that seemed to press in on them from all sides." (Rowling, J.K. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone, June 1997)
Newspapers:
"Despite the bustling city around it, the park offered a quiet reprieve for afternoon strollers." (The New York Times)
"Investors are seeking quiet assets as inflation concerns linger." (The Wall Street Journal)
Online Publications:
"How to find your quiet place in a noisy world." (Psychology Today)
"The company launched a quiet update to its privacy policy this week, prompting some user concerns." (TechCrunch)
Various Entertainment Mediums and Platforms:
Film: "A Quiet Place" (Film title, April 2018)
Music: "The Sound of Silence" (Song lyrics by Simon & Garfunkel: "Hello darkness, my old friend, I've come to talk with you again, because a vision softly creeping, left its seeds while I was sleeping, and the vision that was planted in my brain, still remains, within the sound of silence." October 1964)
Television: "The doctor advised her to take it quiet for a few days after the surgery." (Dialogue from medical drama, July 2023)
Video Game: "The mission objective stated, 'Proceed quietly through the enemy lines.'" (In-game text from a stealth video game, September 2022)
General Public Discourse:
"Could you please be quiet? I'm trying to concentrate." (Everyday conversation)
"Let's just enjoy the quiet of the morning before everyone wakes up." (Informal discussion)
"She's usually quite quiet, but she had a lot to say on that topic." (Observation about a person's demeanor)
"The market is quiet today, not much trading happening." (Casual remark about financial markets)
10 Quotes Using Quiet
"The monotony and solitude of a quiet life stimulates the creative mind." (Albert Einstein)
"Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved." (Helen Keller)
"All men's miseries derive from not being able to sit in a quiet room alone." (Blaise Pascal)
"You are so brave and quiet I forget you are suffering." (Ernest Hemingway)
"It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt." (Attributed to Mark Twain, often phrased with "keep quiet")
"Listen to yourself and in that quietude you might hear the voice of God." (Maya Angelou)
"A happy life must be to a great extent a quiet life, for it is only in an atmosphere of quiet that true joy can live." (Bertrand Russell)
"The quieter you become, the more you are able to hear." (Ram Dass)
"Another world is not only possible, she is on her way. On a quiet day, I can hear her breathing." (Arundhati Roy)
"If you are quiet enough, you will hear the flow of the universe." (Buddha)
Etymology
The word "quiet" has a long and interesting history, tracing its roots all the way back to an ancient Indo-European language.
Imagine someone trying to describe the feeling of resting or being at peace. This is where "quiet" truly begins.
It started with a very old Proto-Indo-European root, *kweie-, which meant "to rest" or "to be quiet." From this, we got the Latin word quies, meaning "repose, rest, peace."
This Latin word then evolved into quietus, which meant "calm, at rest, free from exertion." This is where the direct connection to our modern "quiet" becomes clear.
From Latin, it traveled into Old French as quiet (as an adjective) and quiete (as a noun), both carrying the meaning of "tranquil" or "peace."
The English word "quiet" (as a noun meaning "freedom from disturbance or conflict") first appeared around the 1300s. Soon after, in the late 1300s, it started being used as an adjective, meaning "peaceable, being in a state of rest, not moving or agitated." The sense of "absence of noise" specifically came around 1400.
So, in simple terms, "quiet" comes from ancient words meaning "rest" and "peace," and its first known uses in English, around the 14th century, referred to a state of calm, stillness, and freedom from disturbance, both in terms of noise and activity.
Phrases + Idioms Containing Quiet
Here's a list of phrases and idioms using "quiet":
Keep quiet: To remain silent or not speak.
On the quiet: Secretly or without drawing attention.
Quiet down: To become less noisy or agitated.
Quiet as a mouse: Extremely quiet or silent.
The quiet life: A peaceful, calm existence away from commotion.
To quiet a room/crowd: To make a group of people stop being noisy.
Quiet please! A request for silence.
All quiet on the Western Front: A phrase indicating that there's no activity or trouble, often used metaphorically for a lack of news or events (from the novel of the same name).
To go quietly: To comply without resistance or fuss.
Quiet diplomacy: Negotiations or discussions conducted discreetly and without public announcement.
Quiet contemplation: Deep, peaceful thought.
A quiet word: A private discussion or conversation.
Vocabulary-Based Stories from SEA
Source Information
Definition of quiet from The Academic Glossary at Self Exploration Academy, a Urikville Press Publication. © All rights reserved.
