quiet

quiet

I

qui‧et¹ S2 W2 /ˈkwaɪət/ adjective (comparative quieter, superlative quietest)1.  MAKING NO NOISE not making much noise, or making no noise at all:
    We’ll have to be quiet so as not to wake the baby.
    It’s a nice car. The engine’s really quiet.
    I’ll be as quiet as a mouse (=very quiet). ⇨ see box on P.1426
2.  NOT SPEAKING
  a. not saying much or not saying anything:
    You’re very quiet, Mom – is anything the matter?
    I didn’t know anything about it so I just kept quiet.
    The crowd went quiet.
    quiet confidence/satisfaction/desperation (=having a particular feeling but not talking about it)
    a woman whose life of quiet desperation threatens to overwhelm her
    quiet authority/dignity (=not saying much but making other people have a particular feeling about you)
    Jack’s air of quiet authority
  b. someone who is quiet does not usually talk very much:
    a strange, quiet girl
3. (be) quiet! spoken used to tell someone to stop talking or making a noise:
    Tanya, be quiet! I’m on the phone.
    Quiet, you lot!
4. keep something quiet/keep quiet about something to keep information secret:
    You’re getting married? You kept that quiet!
5.  PLACE WITH NO NOISE a place that is quiet has no noise or not much noise:
    Our hotel room was comfortable and quiet.
    When they walked into the pub, the place went quiet.
6.  NO ACTIVITY/PEOPLE without much activity or without many people:
    It was a Sunday, about three o'clock, and the streets were quiet.
    I’d love to go on holiday somewhere where it’s nice and quiet.
    Anthony met her in the bar, and they found a quiet corner where they could talk.
    I’m going to have a quiet night in (=an evening when you stay at home and relax).
    He wants a quiet life, while she wants to go out partying.
7.  BUSINESS if business is quiet, there are not many customers
   SYN  slack:
    August is a quiet time of year for the retail trade.
8. keep somebody quiet to stop someone from talking, complaining, or causing trouble:
    Give the kids some crayons – that will keep them quiet for a while.
9. have a quiet word (with somebody) especially British English to talk to someone privately when you want to criticize them or tell them about something serious:
    Brian’s just not keeping up with the workload. Can you have a quiet word?
HINT: ► Do not confuse quiet with quite (=fairly).
—quietness noun [uncountable]
⇨ quietly
     

THESAURUS

■ a quiet sound or voice
   ▪ quiet not making a loud sound: I heard a quiet voice behind me. | a car with a quiet engine
   ▪ low quiet – especially because you do not want people to hear or be disturbed: Doug was on the phone, speaking in a low voice. | I turned the volume down low.
   ▪ soft quiet and pleasant to listen to: Soft music was playing in the background. | His voice was soft and gentle.
   ▪ silent not making any sound at all: a silent prayer | silent laughter | The machines were virtually silent.
   ▪ hushed deliberately quiet because you do not want people to hear – used about people’s voices: They were talking about money in hushed tones. | The doctor’s voice was hushed and urgent.
   ▪ faint quiet and difficult to hear because it comes from a long way away: The men went ahead and their voices got fainter and fainter. | the faint sound of bells
   ▪ muffled difficult to hear, for example because the sound comes from another room or someone’s mouth is covered by something: Muffled voices were coming from downstairs. | the muffled sound of someone crying
   ▪ dull [only before noun] a dull sound is not loud – used especially about the sound of something hitting another thing: He hit the ground with a dull thud.
   ▪ inaudible too quiet to hear: The sound is inaudible to the human ear. | Her answer came in an almost inaudible whisper.
■ a quiet place
   ▪ quiet without much noise: It’s so quiet here at night. | This is the quietest room in the house to work in.
   ▪ silent with no noise at all: The room fell silent (=became silent).
   ▪ peaceful (also tranquil especially written) quiet in a pleasant and relaxing way: Life’s more peaceful in the countryside. | The hotel is set in tranquil surroundings.
   ▪ sleepy [only before noun] quiet – used about a town or village where there are not many people and very little happens: a sleepy fishing village
■ not saying much
   ▪ quiet not saying much: He’s a quiet boy who loves reading. | You’re very quiet tonight, Suzy – are you OK?
   ▪ silent not saying anything: Her husband was a big silent man. | Everyone was arguing but I decided to remain silent.
   ▪ taciturn /ˈtæsətɜːn, ˈtæsɪtɜːn $ -ɜːrn/ formal not talking much and seeming a little unfriendly or bad-tempered: He found Vaughn a taciturn and rather difficult person.
   ▪ reticent unwilling to talk to other people, especially about a particular subject: She’s always been reticent about her early life.
   ▪ a man/woman of few words someone who does not talk much, especially because they only speak when there is something important to say: My father was a man of few words, but when he spoke everyone listened.

II

quiet² noun [uncountable]1. the state of being quiet, calm, and peaceful:
    We were enjoying the quiet of the forest.
    I’ve had an awful day – now I just want some peace and quiet.
2. silence:
    Can I have some quiet, please?
3. on the quiet British English informal secretly:
    We found out he’d been doing some freelance work on the quiet.