quite

Quite is an English word that functions primarily as a degree adverb. It modifies adjectives, adverbs, and sometimes whole clauses to indicate extent or intensity. The sense can range from nearly or not quite to completely or very, depending on context, tone, and regional usage. Common examples include quite interesting, quite slowly, and quite a lot.

Not quite provides a related nuance, signaling partial progress or near completion: not quite ready, not quite there yet. Context and negation are important for interpretation. Additionally, quite can appear in phrases such as quite a few or quite a bit, where it acts as a degree modifier of the noun phrase and can mean “a sizable amount” rather than a precise quantity.

Usage and interpretation vary by dialect. In American English, quite often strengthens adjectives to mean very or really; in other varieties of English, the meaning can be closer to completely or to a large extent. The phrase not quite is universally used to indicate something is almost but not entirely the case.

Etymology: The word comes from Old French quiet or quiete, from Latin quietus, meaning at rest or quiet. In English, its sense broadened from the notion of being settled or complete to degree emphasis over time.