adv · 6 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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/ˈkwaɪ.ɪt.li/
/ˈkwaɪ.ət.li/weak vowel merger
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
CMU ARPABET:K W AY1 AH0 T L IY0
Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.
1
adv
Meaning 1
Producing little or no noise.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: loudly
2
adv
Meaning 2
Without attracting attention.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
3
adverb
Meaning 3
with low volume
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
speak softly but carry a big stick
she spoke quietly to the child
the radio was playing softly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: softly
Antonyms: none provided
4
adverb
Meaning 4
with little or no sound
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the class was listening quietly and intently
she was crying quietly
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: noisily
5
adverb
Meaning 5
with little or no activity or no agitation (`quiet' is a nonstandard variant for `quietly')
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
her hands rested quietly in her lap
the rock star was quietly led out the back door
sit here as quiet as you can
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: quiet
Antonyms: unquietly
6
adverb
Meaning 6
in a restful manner
Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0
Examples
the streets are restfully sunny and still for the town is at mass
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: restfully
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From Middle English quietely, quyetly, equivalent to quiet + -ly.
Across languages
Translations
53 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Arabic:
بِهُدُوء
(bihudūʔ)
— producing little or no noise
Armenian:
կամաց
(kamacʻ)
— producing little or no noise
Armenian:
հանգիստ
(hangist)
— producing little or no noise
Belarusian:
ці́ха
(cíxa)
— producing little or no noise
Bulgarian:
ти́хо
(tího)
— producing little or no noise
Catalan:
silenciosament
— producing little or no noise
Chinese Mandarin:
悄悄地
(qiāoqiāo de)
— producing little or no noise
Chinese Mandarin:
安靜地 /安静地
(ānjìng de)
— producing little or no noise
Czech:
tiše
— producing little or no noise
Esperanto:
silente
— producing little or no noise
Esperanto:
kviete
— producing little or no noise
Finnish:
hiljaa
— producing little or no noise
Finnish:
hiljaisesti
— producing little or no noise
French:
paisablement
— producing little or no noise
French:
tranquillement
— producing little or no noise
French:
quiètement
— producing little or no noise
Georgian:
წყნარად
(c̣q̇narad)
— producing little or no noise
Georgian:
ჩუმად
(čumad)
— producing little or no noise
German:
ruhig
— producing little or no noise
German:
leise
— producing little or no noise
German:
liis
— producing little or no noise
German:
liisli
— producing little or no noise
Greek:
αθόρυβα
(athóryva)
— producing little or no noise
Ancient Greek:
σιγῇ
(sigēî)
— producing little or no noise
Ancient Greek:
σιωπῇ
(siōpēî)
— producing little or no noise
Ancient Greek:
ἀκήν
(akḗn)
— producing little or no noise
Hindi:
चुपके
(cupke)
— producing little or no noise
Hungarian:
csendesen
— producing little or no noise
Hungarian:
csendben
— producing little or no noise
Hungarian:
halkan
— producing little or no noise
Ido:
silence
— producing little or no noise
Japanese:
静かに
(shizuka ni)
— producing little or no noise
Korean:
조용하게
(joyonghage)
— producing little or no noise
Korean:
조용히
(joyonghi)
— producing little or no noise
Macedonian:
тивко
(tivko)
— producing little or no noise
Māori:
māika
— producing little or no noise
Marathi:
शांतपणे
(śāntapṇe)
— producing little or no noise
Nahuatl:
yocoxquia
— producing little or no noise
Polish:
cicho
— producing little or no noise
Portuguese:
silenciosamente
— producing little or no noise
Russian:
ти́хо
(tíxo)
— producing little or no noise
Russian:
сми́рно
(smírno)
— producing little or no noise
Northern Sami:
jaska
— producing little or no noise
Sanskrit:
तूष्णीम्
(tūṣṇīm)
— producing little or no noise
Scottish Gaelic:
os ìosal
— producing little or no noise
Serbo-Croatian:
tȉho
— producing little or no noise
Serbo-Croatian:
ти̏хо
— producing little or no noise
Slovak:
ticho
— producing little or no noise
Slovene:
tiho
— producing little or no noise
Spanish:
mansamente
— producing little or no noise
Spanish:
despacio
— producing little or no noise
Tocharian B:
ām
— producing little or no noise
Ukrainian:
ти́хо
(týxo)
— producing little or no noise