quiet
quiet — adjective
- quietpositive
- quietercomparative
- quietestsuperlative
1. producing or involving only a small amount of sound, so that people nearby are n
producing or involving only a small amount of sound, so that people nearby are not disturbed
The baby was finally asleep, so everyone in the house stayed quiet.
predicative use: stay / be / keep + quiet
Aarav spoke in a quiet voice so he would not wake his roommate.
attributive use: quiet + noun
The library is supposed to be a quiet place for reading and studying.
quiet place — common collocation
We could hear the quiet hum of the refrigerator in the kitchen.
The audience remained quiet during the entire piano performance.
- quiet voice
- quiet room
- quiet place
- quiet street
- stay quiet
- keep quiet
- go quiet
Grammar Patterns
quiet + noun
be + quiet
Usage Note
Quiet describes a low level of sound; for a complete absence of sound use silent instead.
Common Mistakes
2. having few people, events, or signs of activity in a place, giving a feeling of
having few people, events, or signs of activity in a place, giving a feeling of peace and calm
We spent a quiet weekend at home with no special plans.
quiet weekend — describing a period of low activity
The café is quiet in the afternoon, so it is a good time to read.
Business has been quiet lately, and the shop has very few customers.
collocation: quiet business / quiet trade
The couple moved to a quiet village where everyone knows each other.
- quiet village
- quiet weekend
- quiet life
- quiet period
- quiet evening
Grammar Patterns
quiet + noun
be + quiet
Usage Note
This sense describes a place or period with little happening, unlike sense 1 which focuses on sound level. A quiet village may still have birds singing or people chatting.
3. choosing to say very little in conversations, often because of a shy or thoughtf
choosing to say very little in conversations, often because of a shy or thoughtful nature
Mei is a quiet girl who prefers to listen rather than speak in groups.
The new student was quiet at first but gradually opened up to her classmates.
be quiet at first — describing temporary personality
Omar is usually quiet during meetings, but when he speaks everyone listens.
Her quiet nature sometimes makes people think she is unfriendly, which is not true.
quiet nature — describing a personality trait
- quiet person
- quiet child
- quiet nature
- quiet student
- quiet man
Grammar Patterns
quiet + noun
be + quiet
a quiet person
Usage Note
Quiet as a personality description is usually neutral in tone. Calling someone silent can sound negative, while reserved is more formal and often positive.
Common Mistakes
4. intentionally not telling others about something you know, in order to keep it h
intentionally not telling others about something you know, in order to keep it hidden or avoid causing trouble
The company kept the merger quiet until all the papers were signed.
keep [something] quiet — transitive phrasal pattern
Can you stay quiet about the surprise party I am planning for João?
stay quiet about [topic]
The deal was arranged through quiet negotiations behind closed doors.
If you stay quiet about the problem now, it will only get worse later.
- keep quiet about
- stay quiet about
- keep something quiet
- secret
directly describes something hidden
- confidential
formal, used for officially secret information
- hush-hush
informal, suggesting deliberately concealed
Grammar Patterns
keep quiet about [something]
stay quiet about [something]
Usage Note
This sense is almost always used in the phrase keep/stay quiet about something. It differs from sense 1 (making no noise) because the focus is on secrecy, not sound.
Common Mistakes
❌ 'Please stay quiet about the news I just heard from the manager.' — Could mean either 'do not talk' (sense 1) or 'do not reveal' (sense 4). Use keep it to yourself to be clear about secrecy.
5. designed, decorated, or behaved in a simple way that does not attract attention
designed, decorated, or behaved in a simple way that does not attract attention or seem showy
She wore a quiet grey dress that did not attract any attention at the party.
quiet + colour — understated, not bright or flashy
The restaurant has a quiet elegance, with simple furniture and soft lighting.
Brian prefers quiet colours like beige and light blue for his bedroom walls.
His quiet confidence impressed the interviewers more than loud boasting would have.
quiet confidence — a calm, unshowy self-assurance
- quiet colour
- quiet elegance
- quiet confidence
- quiet dignity
- quiet style
- subtle
not obvious, easy to miss at first — used for colours, flavours, or details
- understated
deliberately plain or simple in a stylish way
- restrained
kept within limits; not excessive or showy
Grammar Patterns
quiet + noun
be + quiet
Usage Note
This sense is often used to describe colours, clothing, or personal qualities that are deliberately modest. It has a positive connotation of good taste.
quiet as a mouse
idiommaking almost no sound at all, especially in order not to be noticed
The children were quiet as a mouse while their father took a nap on the sofa.
to speak to someone privately and gently about a problem or concern
The teacher had a quiet word with Otis about his behaviour in class.
To not tell anyone about a piece of information or a secret.
Maya kept quiet about her surprise party plans.
Can you keep this quiet until the announcement?
quiet — adverb
1. in a way that makes very little sound or causes little disturbance; used especia
in a way that makes very little sound or causes little disturbance; used especially with verbs of sitting, standing, or lying
The children sat quiet in their chairs while the principal spoke.
sit quiet — informal variant of 'sit quietly'
The dog lay quiet at the foot of the bed all night long.
Élise told the boys to sit quiet and wait for the doctor to arrive.
commonly used with imperative: sit quiet, stand quiet
Please sit quiet and listen to the instructions before you begin the test.
- sit quiet
- stand quiet
- lie quiet
- stay quiet
- quietly
the standard adverb form, acceptable in all contexts
Grammar Patterns
verb + quiet
sit quiet
stay quiet
lie quiet
Usage Note
This adverbial use of quiet instead of quietly is informal and occurs mainly with a small set of verbs: sit, stand, lie, stay, keep, and play. In formal writing, quietly is preferred.
Common Mistakes
quiet — noun
1. a state or period during which there is very little sound, movement, or activity
a state or period during which there is very little sound, movement, or activity, creating a peaceful atmosphere
The quiet of the early morning was broken only by birds singing.
the quiet of [something] — common noun pattern
Élise enjoys the quiet of the countryside after living in a busy city for years.
A few minutes of quiet helped the students focus before the exam began.
a few minutes of quiet — quantity + of + quiet
The doctor told him to rest and enjoy the quiet while recovering from surgery.
- the quiet of
- peace and quiet
- a moment of quiet
- in the quiet
Grammar Patterns
the quiet of [place/time]
in the quiet
Usage Note
Quiet as a noun is usually uncountable but can appear with a or an when modified by an adjective (e.g., a deep quiet fell over the room). Distinguish from silence, which means a complete absence of sound.
Common Mistakes
peace and quiet
idioma calm, silent state without disturbance or noise, often desired after a stressful period
After a long week at work, all Ari wanted was some peace and quiet at home.
on the quiet
idiomwithout letting other people know; secretly
He has been taking cooking classes on the quiet as a surprise for his wife.
quiet — verb
- quietpresent simple I / you / we / they
- quiets3rd person singular
- quieting-ing form
- quietedpast simple
1. to stop making noise or to make someone or something stop making noise; to becom
to stop making noise or to make someone or something stop making noise; to become calmer after being upset, excited, or active
The teacher raised her hand to quiet the class before starting the lesson.
transitive: quiet + [someone] — make them stop making noise
Aarav tried to quiet his racing thoughts by taking slow, deep breaths.
transitive with abstract object: quiet thoughts / fears
The wind gradually quieted after the storm passed through the town.
intransitive: become quieter on its own
Chidi gave the baby a bottle to quiet her crying during the night.
The crowd quieted down once the speaker stepped onto the stage.
phrasal: quiet down — become less noisy
- quiet down
- quiet a crowd
- quiet fears
- quiet the noise
Grammar Patterns
quiet [someone/something]
quiet down
Usage Note
Quiet (verb) is less common in British English, where quieten is often preferred. Both transitive and intransitive uses exist; quiet down is a common phrasal variant. The past form is quieted, not 'quiet'.
Common Mistakes
quiet down
phrasal verbto become less noisy or lively, or to make someone or something do this
The party quieted down after midnight when most guests went home.
The mother asked the children to quiet down so the baby could sleep.
Word family
Synonym discussion
Sense: adjective/1
All five words describe an absence of disturbance, but they differ in what exactly is absent. Quiet means a low level of sound — you can be quiet in a library even though the air conditioning hums softly. Silent means no sound at all; a silent room has no noise whatsoever. Still describes an absence of movement rather than sound: a child sitting still may be breathing audibly. Calm applies to emotions, weather, or water that is free from agitation — a calm person can be talking, and calm seas have gentle waves. Peaceful adds a positive emotional layer: a peaceful garden suggests a place that makes you feel relaxed, not just one without noise. Choose quiet when describing low noise levels without implying complete silence; use silent for total absence of sound; still for no movement; calm for emotional or environmental tranquility; and peaceful for a sense of restful harmony.
Common collocations
Nouns
Adverbs
- very quiet
- fairly quiet
- relatively quiet
- unusually quiet
- too quiet
Phrases
- keep quiet
- stay quiet
- go quiet
- all quiet
Prepositions
- quiet about
- quiet for
Etymology
The word quiet comes from Latin quietus, meaning 'calm, at rest, or free from trouble.' It entered English through Old French quiet in the 1300s. The same Latin root also gave us quit (originally 'to set free from debt'), quite (meaning 'completely, entirely'), and requiem ('a Mass for the soul's rest'). The various meanings of 'making little noise,' 'not busy,' and 'restrained' all developed from the core idea of being free from disturbance or agitation.