quite
adverb /kwaɪt/
/kwaɪt/
Idioms - (British English) (not used with a negative) to some degree synonym fairly, pretty
- quite good/interesting/common/difficult
- I quite like opera.
- I quite enjoyed the film to be honest.
- He plays quite well.
- quite a… He's quite a good player.
- We had to wait quite a long time.
Extra Examples- Her children are still quite young.
- I see him quite often.
- I think it's quite likely we'll win.
- I went to bed quite late last night.
- The room is quite small.
- It's quite a small room.
- The shoes were quite expensive.
- to the greatest possible degree synonym completely, absolutely synonym entirely
- quite amazing/delicious/empty/perfect
- The two species are in fact quite different from one another.
- He made it quite clear that he never wanted to see her again.
- Quite frankly, I don't blame you.
- I've had quite enough of your tantrums.
- Are you quite sure?
- I quite agree.
- Quite apart from all the work, he had financial problems.
- not quite Unfortunately it is not quite as simple as that.
- I don't quite know what to do next.
- I'm sorry, I don't quite understand.
- (British English) The theatre was not quite (= was almost) full.
- It's like being in the Alps, but not quite.
- I've never quite understood why she's so successful.
- ‘I almost think she prefers animals to people.’ ‘Quite right too,’ said Bill.
- I'm sorry to be so difficult.’ ‘That's quite all right.’
Extra Examples- The bottle is not quite empty.
- The two things are not quite the same.
- We are never quite sure what to expect.
- to a great degree; very; really
- I'm quite happy to wait for you here.
- You'll be quite comfortable here.
- I can see it quite clearly.
- (North American English) ‘You've no intention of coming back?’ ‘I'm quite sorry, but no, I have not.’
Which Word? quite / fairly / rather / prettyquite / fairly / rather / prettyLook at these examples:- The exam was fairly difficult.
- The exam was quite difficult.
- The exam was rather difficult.
- Quite is a little stronger than fairly, and rather is a little stronger than quite. Rather is not very common in North American English; pretty has the same meaning and this is used in informal British English too:
- The exam was pretty difficult.
- In British English quite has two meanings:
- I feel quite tired today
- I feel quite exhausted.
- Your essay is quite good
- Your essay is quite good
- In North American English quite usually means something like ‘very’, not ‘fairly’ or ‘rather’. Pretty is used instead for this sense.
- (also formal quite so)(British English) used to agree with somebody or show that you understand them
- ‘He's bound to feel shaken after his accident.’ ‘Quite.’
- ‘It’s not something we want to have talked about.’ ‘Quite so.’
Word OriginMiddle English: from the obsolete adjective quite, variant of quit.
Idioms
quite a/the something
(also informal quite some something)
- used to show that a person or thing is particularly impressive or unusual in some way
- This is quite a different problem.
- She's quite a beauty.
- We found it quite a change when we moved to London.
- He's quite the little gentleman, isn't he?
- It must be quite some car.
quite the contrary
- used to emphasize that the opposite of what has been said is true
- I don't find him funny at all. Quite the contrary.
quite a few
(British English also a good few, a fair few)
- a fairly large number
- I've been there quite a few times.
quite a lot (of something)
(also British English, informal quite a bit)
- a large number or amount of something
- They drank quite a lot of wine.
quite some something
- a large amount of something
- She hasn't been seen for quite some time.
- (informal) (also quite a/the something)used to show that a person or thing is particularly impressive or unusual in some way