not quite
not quite — idiom
1. almost in a particular state or amount, but a little less than fully so; also us
almost in a particular state or amount, but a little less than fully so; also used to gently say that something someone said is close to the truth but not exactly right.
Yuna tasted the soup, but the broth was not quite ready to serve.
not quite + adjective (ready)
Christopher counted his coins twice, but did not quite have enough for the ticket.
not quite + enough for an amount
The painters worked all morning, but the back wall was not quite dry yet.
not quite + adjective for an incomplete state
"So you finished the whole report?" "Not quite — the last two pages still need checking."
standalone reply: gently correcting an overstatement
Joaquín reached up, but his fingers could not quite touch the old photo album.
not quite + verb for falling just short
- not quite ready
- not quite finished
- not quite right
- not quite enough
- not quite sure
- almost
plainer and more common; 'almost' simply means close, while 'not quite' stresses the small remaining gap
- nearly
very close in meaning; 'nearly' can feel slightly more positive, 'not quite' highlights what is still missing
- not entirely
more formal; used for partial agreement or partial truth
- completely
the full state that 'not quite' falls short of
- exactly
as a reply, the opposite of the 'not exactly right' reading
Grammar Patterns
not quite + adjective
not quite + verb
not quite + enough/ready/finished
Usage Note
Modifies an adjective, verb, or amount to mean it falls just short of the full level; also stands alone as a polite reply meaning 'almost, but not exactly'. Distinguish from plain 'not', which denies completely rather than signalling a small shortfall.
Common Mistakes
Etymology
This phrase joins the everyday negative word 'not' with 'quite', which has meant 'completely' or 'fully' since Middle English. Put together, the words say that something is almost at the full level but stops just short of it.