What does "quite" mean?
A series of passes made with the cape to distract the bull.
Quite
/kwaɪt/ adv, intj, noun
adv, intj, noun ·Common ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: A series of passes made with the cape to distract the bull.
- Grammar: quite is listed as adv, intj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: a bit, a little, absolutely, absolutely.
- Useful contrasts: not quite, absolutely, completely.
- Usage evidence: Well, the night is quite long, isn't it?
How to use "quite"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "quite" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "quite" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "quite" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "quite" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "quite" is acting as adv, intj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "a bit" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "quite", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 A series of passes made with the cape to distract the bull.
Adverb
- 1 To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.; With verbs, especially past participles. not-comparable
"Thus when they had the witch diſrobed quight, / And all her filthy feature open ſhowne, / They let her goe at will, and wander waies vnknowne."
- 2 To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.; With prepositional phrases and spatial adverbs. not-comparable
"Margaret passed quite through the pines, and reached the opening beyond which was what was once the yard, but was now, except for a strip of flower-border and turf which showed care, simply a tangle of bushes and briars."
- 3 To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.; With predicative adjectives. not-comparable
"El adrea was quite dead. No more will he slink silently upon his unsuspecting prey."
- 4 To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.; With attributive adjectives, following an (especially indefinite) article; chiefly as expressing contrast, difference etc. not-comparable
"When I warned him that his words might be offensive to identical twins, he said that identical twins were a quite different case."
- 5 To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.; Preceding nouns introduced by the indefinite article. Chiefly in negative constructions. not-comparable
"I ventured to hint that he was not quite a fair judge, as [Charles] Churchill had attacked him violently."
Show 8 more definitions
- 6 To the greatest extent or degree; completely, entirely.; With adverbs of manner. not-comparable
"However, the proceedings were quite carefully orchestrated to produce what seemed to be a predetermined outcome."
- 7 In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually.; Coming before the indefinite article and an attributive adjective. (Now largely merged with moderative senses, below.) not-comparable
""My little plot has been rather successful, after all, hasn't it?" "Quite a perfect success," said Drake."
- 8 In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually.; With plain adjectives, past participles, and adverbs. not-comparable
"“My Continental prominence is improving,” I commented dryly. / Von Lindowe cut at a furze bush with his silver-mounted rattan. / “Quite so,” he said as dryly, his hand at his mustache. “I may say if your intentions were known your life would not be worth a curse.”"
- 9 In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually.; Coming before the definite article and an attributive superlative. not-comparable
"Laploshka was one of the meanest men I have ever met, and quite one of the most entertaining."
- 10 In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually.; Before a noun preceded by an indefinite article; now often with ironic implications that the noun in question is particularly noteworthy or remarkable. not-comparable
"To debauch the Indians with rum and cheat them of their land was quite a Government affair, and not at all criminal; but to use rum to cheat them of their peltry, was an abomination in the sight of the law."
- 11 In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually.; Before a noun preceded by the definite article. not-comparable
"It's not quite the colour I am looking for."
- 12 In a fully justified sense; truly, perfectly, actually.; With prepositional or adverbial phrases. archaic, not-comparable
- 13 To a moderate extent or degree; somewhat, rather. not-comparable
"Mind your shoes, the basement is quite wet."
Adverb
- 1 to the greatest extent; completely wordnet
- 2 to a degree (not used with a negative) wordnet
- 3 of an unusually noticeable or exceptional or remarkable kind (not used with a negative) wordnet
- 4 actually or truly or to an extreme wordnet
Intj
- 1 Indicates agreement; exactly so. UK
"“That's a rather ugly colour for a house, don't you think?” — “Quite.”"
Synonyms
All synonymsAntonyms
Example
"Well, the night is quite long, isn't it?"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "quite"?
Common synonyms include: a bit, a little, absolutely, absolutely, actually, all.
How do you use "quite" in a sentence?
Well, the night is quite long, isn't it?
How do you pronounce "quite"?
Pronounced /kwaɪt/.
Etymology
Etymology 1
A development of quit, influence by Anglo-Norman quite. Doublet of coy, quit, quiet, and quietus. For an analogous semantic development from the same root, compare Armenian շատ (šat).
Etymology 2
From Spanish quite.