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📕 rednote ID(小红书号)：3881567312

Quite: Meaning, Usage, and Common Mistakes (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：fairly, to some extent (quite)

quite 🔊

/kwaɪt/

adv.

To a noticeable degree, but not the highest. Often means 'good but not perfect'.

fairly, to some extent 🔊

➕

/ˈfeəli/

adv.

Quite is used before adjectives and adverbs to mean 'to a moderate or noticeable degree', less strong than 'very' but more than 'a little'.

📁 Category：School Education 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

Derived from Latin 'quietus' (calm), via Old French 'quite' (free, clear).

💡 Mnemonic

Think of 'quite' as 'quite' a bit - it's more than a little, less than very.

📖 Example

After three months of practice, her English is quite good, and she can chat with foreign friends easily. 🔊 After three months of practice, her English is quite good, and she can chat with foreign friends easily.

🔗 Collocations

quite good – fairly good, moderately good

quite a few – a considerable number

quite often – frequently

🔄 Synonyms

rather (adv.) – to a moderate extent (synonym of quite)

fairly (adv.) – to a moderate degree

somewhat (adv.) – to a small extent or degree

🚫 Antonyms

extremely (adv.) – to a very high degree (opposite of moderate)

slightly (adv.) – to a small degree (opposite of noticeable)

📖 Cultural Story

In British English, 'quite' is famously nuanced: 'quite good' can mean 'good but not great' or 'very good' depending on tone. This ambiguity reflects British understatement.

Meaning 2：completely, absolutely (quite)

quite 🔊

/kwaɪt/

adv.

Completely, totally. Used to emphasize that something is 100% true or correct.

Hand placing final puzzle piece symbolizing quite meaning completely

completely, absolutely 🔊

➕

/kəmˈpliːtli/

adv.

Quite is used to emphasize that something is 100% true or correct; it means 'totally' or 'absolutely'.

📁 Category：Natural Geography 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

You're quite right; watching the sunset from this hill is completely worth the long climb. 🔊 You're quite right; watching the sunset from this hill is completely worth the long climb.

🔗 Collocations

quite right – completely correct

quite sure – totally certain

quite possible – entirely possible

🔄 Synonyms

completely (adv.) – totally, entirely

totally (adv.) – completely, utterly

absolutely (adv.) – without any doubt

🚫 Antonyms

partially (adv.) – to some extent but not completely

slightly (adv.) – to a small degree