quite
UK: kwaɪt | US: kwaɪt
adv. to a certain or fairly significant extent or degree
adv. completely or entirely (chiefly British usage)
adv. used to emphasize a statement or response
quite = quit<free, clear> + e (adverbial suffix)
- quit (from Old French quiter, meaning "to free, clear, release")
- e (a common adverbial suffix in Middle English, now merged into the word)
Etymology Origin:
The word "quite" originated from the Old French quiter, meaning "to free or release," which itself derives from Latin quietus ("calm, at rest"). In Middle English, it evolved to mean "completely" or "fully," reflecting the idea of being "free from lack." Over time, its usage softened in American English to mean "fairly" or "rather," while British English retains the stronger sense of "entirely." The adverbial suffix -e (now silent) was added to form the modern word.
The movie was quite interesting, though not perfect.
She was quite exhausted after the long journey.
"Are you sure?" "Quite sure."
The project is quite finished—no more work is needed.
It’s quite cold outside today.