quaint Hear it!

quaint Definition

quaint (kwānt)

adjective

  1. Obsolete clever or skilled
  2. Now Rare wrought with skill; ingenious
  3. unusual or old-fashioned in a pleasing way
  4. singular; unusual; curious
  5. fanciful; whimsical

Etymology: ME cointe < OFr < L cognitus, known: see cognition

quaint Related Forms
quaintly adverb quaint·ness noun
quaint Synonyms

quaint

modif.

  1. Unusual

    odd, strange, singular, eccentric; see unusual 2.

  2. Old-fashioned but charming

    picturesque, archaic, fanciful, curious, cute, pleasing, captivating, ancient, antiquated, whimsical, affected, baroque, Victorian, Gothic, Early American, Colonial; see also charming, old-fashioned.

    Antonyms modern*, up-to-date, fashionable. See syn. study at strange.strange.

quaint Usage Examples

Modifying Another Word

  • rather: The Faculty in the old days was a rather quaint affair.
  • almost: Today's technologies make these fears seem almost quaint.
  • quite: At that stage ( Thursday afternoon the real Thursday, that is ) it seemed quite quaint.
  • very: Within a very short time Being Digital could look very quaint indeed.
  • so: The cottage looked so quaint with its low white walls and thatched roof.
  • somewhat: Hence the somewhat quaint title the Chicago-Lambeth Quadrilateral by which the articles have been called ever since.

Adjective complement with noun phrase

  • find: They might have found the testimonies quaint ( ' It's wild, man!

Modifies a noun

  • village: There are many quaint fishing villages to explore, all within easy driving distance.
  • harbor: Faro, the capital of the Algarve, is situated around a quaint harbor with narrow streets located in the old town.
  • cottage: We drew to a halt outside number 11 Smith's Green, a quaint little cottage near Bishop's Stortford.
  • hamlet: A quaint little hamlet in the middle of some stunning scenery.
  • cafes: There are quaint cafés and tavernas in Coral Bay alongside the usual music bars and cocktail bars.
  • alley: Quaint little alleys and yards off the steep main street house many interesting shops offering a wide range of unusual gifts and mementos.

Used with adjective complement

  • seem: Today's technologies make these fears seem almost quaint.
  • appear: The idea of mounting an exhibition that takes an ambivalent or even critical position toward its contents now appears merely quaint.
  • sound: It all sounds very quaint to us now, yet alcohol abuse kills far more people in the UK today than illegal drugs.
  • look: Within a very short time Being Digital could look very quaint indeed.
  • become: At times, she becomes quaint, at others quite rude and oblivious to the rights of others.
  • feel: Such antennae doubtless looked modern and technical at the time but feel decisively quaint at the turn of the millenium.
quaint Quotes

The same costume will be Indecent†10 years before its time Shameless†5 years before its time Outre¤   (daring)†1year before its time Smart Dowdy†1year after its time Hideous†10 years after its time Ridiculous†20 years after its time Amusing†30 years after its time Quaint†50 years after its time Charming†70 years after its time Romantic†100 years after its time Beautiful†150 years after its time.

—Laver,James

Browse dictionary entries near quaint

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