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Definition of quiet adjective from the Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary

quiet

adjective
 
/ˈkwaɪət/
 
/ˈkwaɪət/
(comparative quieter, superlative quietest)
Idioms
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  1. making very little noise
    • her quiet voice
    • a quieter, more efficient engine
    • Could you keep the kids quiet while I'm on the phone?
    • He went very quiet (= did not say much) so I knew he was upset.
    • ‘Be quiet,’ said the teacher.
    • She crept downstairs (as) quiet as a mouse.
    • We were all quiet for a moment.
    Extra Examples
    • His voice was dangerously quiet as he asked the question.
    • Keep that dog quiet, will you!
    • She went back to a strangely quiet house.
    • Suddenly the room went all quiet.
    • The house was quiet except for the sound of the television.
    • We could hear quiet footsteps in the corridor.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • become
    • fall
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    preposition
    • about
    phrases
    • nice (and) quiet
    See full entry
  2. without many people or much noise or activity
    • a quiet street/town
    • It is a quiet place with just a handful of shops, bars and restaurants.
    • They lead a quiet life.
    • After a month of political tensions, things are relatively quiet.
    • Business is usually quieter at this time of year.
    • They had a quiet wedding.
    • The hotel is in a quiet location near the sea.
    • The negotiations were quiet and hurried.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • look
    • seem
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    See full entry
  3. peaceful; without being interrupted
    • to have a quiet coffee
    • They were enjoying a quiet moment by the lake.
    • I was looking forward to a quiet evening at home.
    Extra Examples
    • Keep the patient as quiet as possible.
    • Lie quiet for an hour and you'll feel better.
    • Things seemed quiet enough, but it was an uneasy calm.
    Oxford Collocations Dictionaryverbs
    • be
    • look
    • seem
    adverb
    • extremely
    • fairly
    • very
    See full entry
  4. (of a person) tending not to talk very much
    • She was quiet and shy.
  5. (of a feeling or an attitude) definite but not expressed in an obvious way
    • He had an air of quiet authority.
  6. Word OriginMiddle English (originally as a noun denoting peace as opposed to war): via Old French, based on Latin quies, quiet- ‘repose, quiet’.
Idioms
keep quiet about something | keep something quiet
  1. to say nothing about something; to keep something secret
    • I've decided to resign but I'd rather you kept quiet about it.
    • This story is too big to be kept quiet.
    • We'll have to keep this quiet—if it gets out, we'll all be in a lot of trouble.
See quiet in the Oxford Advanced American DictionarySee quiet in the Oxford Learner's Dictionary of Academic English
trait
noun
 
 
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