quieten

/ˈkwaɪətn/ (bre, ipa) · /ˈkwaɪətn/ (ame, ipa) · /ˈkwī-ə-tən/ (ame, mw)

quieten — verb

  • quietenpresent simple I / you / we / they
  • quietenshe / she / it
  • quietenedpast simple
  • quietening-ing form

1. to stop making noise or causing excitement, or to make a person, animal, or situ

1.動詞及物 / 不及物B2
釋義

to stop making noise or causing excitement, or to make a person, animal, or situation become calmer and less noisy

例句

The crowd quietened down after the speaker raised his hand.

phrasal use: 'quieten down' for groups or noise

Sari quietened the crying baby by humming a soft tune.

transitive: quieten + [distressed person/animal]

同義詞
  • calm

    Broader meaning — can refer to soothing emotions or reducing activity, not just noise

  • hush

    More specific — implies making silent, often used for babies or audiences; slightly informal

  • silence

    Stronger and more forceful — suggests completely stopping all sound, often by authority

反義詞
  • stir up

    Opposite direction — to excite or agitate instead of calming

  • disturb

    To interrupt peace or quiet, the reverse of restoring calm

文法句型

quieten + noun phrase (transitive)

quieten + down (intransitive phrasal)

quieten + noun phrase + down

用法筆記

Primarily used in British English; American English prefers 'quiet' as the verb (e.g., 'The teacher quieted the class'). Often appears with 'down' as a phrasal verb: 'quieten down'.

常見錯誤

❌The crowd quieted down after the speech.
✅The crowd quietened down after the speech.
💡In British English, 'quieten' is the standard verb form; 'quiet' as a verb is more common in American English.
❌She quietened the situation.
✅She quietened everyone down.
💡'Quieten' typically takes a concrete or animated object (a person, animal, or group), not abstract nouns like 'situation'.