Quiet Synonyms | Meaning, Uses & Examples
Quiet can be an adjective, noun, verb, and adverb. Across different parts of speech, its meaning usually has to do with “little or no sound.”
Some synonyms for quiet are:
- Silent
- Hushed
- Muted
- Serene
- Tranquil
- Calm
- Restful
- Placid
- Peace
- Tranquility
- Serenity
- Relaxation
- Silence
- Hush
- Soothe
- Calm
- Pacify
To find even more quiet synonyms, use QuillBot’s free Paraphraser.
Quiet meaning
Quiet has several meanings and can work as various parts of speech. Don’t confuse quite and quiet; the former means “very” and the latter has the meanings below.
| Part of speech | Meaning | Example sentence |
|---|---|---|
| Adjective | With little or no sound | The room was very quiet during the exam. |
| Adjective | Peaceful | They live a quiet life in the countryside. |
| Noun | Silence or calm | I enjoyed the quiet of my break in the park. |
| Verb | To make somebody or something silent or calm | The mother tried to quiet the crying baby. |
| Adverb | In a way that produces little or no sound | That engine runs quiet. |
Quiet synonyms
Some synonyms for quiet meaning “with little or no sound” are stronger matches than others. For example, “silent” or “hushed” are good general replacements for quiet. Other, weaker synonyms may have a denotation that goes beyond quiet. For example, “muffled” means that something is quiet because sound is obstructed.
| Match | Synonym | Quiet example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Silent | The new electric buses are so quiet. | The new electric buses are so silent. |
| Hushed | The girls had a quiet conversation in the corner. | The girls had a hushed conversation in the corner. | |
| Muted | The quiet sounds of the city drifted through the window. | The muted sounds of the city drifted through the window. | |
| Strong | Soft | The kitten made a quiet purring sound. | The kitten made a soft purring sound. |
| Peaceful | The quiet stillness of the lake was calming. | The peaceful stillness of the lake was calming. | |
| Soundless | The priest knelt in quiet prayer. | The priest knelt in soundless prayer. | |
| Noiseless | His cozy bedroom was completely quiet except for the soft crackle of a candle. | His cozy bedroom was completely noiseless except for the soft crackle of a candle. | |
| Muffled | The neighbors’ voices sounded quiet through the wall. | The neighbors’ voices sounded muffled through the wall. |
- Subdued (“My sister has a subdued personality”)
- Reserved (“He’s a reserved boy who doesn’t speak much”)
- Reticent (“Ellie is reticent about her personal life”)
- Low-key (“Jack is so low-key; he doesn’t say much and goes with the flow”)
The same goes for synonyms for quiet meaning “peaceful.” For example, “serene” and “tranquil” can be substituted for quiet in most contexts. On the other hand, synonyms like “arcadian” and “halcyon” can mean “peaceful” but also carry the connotation of “idyllic” or “picturesque.”
| Match | Synonym | Quiet example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Serene | My parents wanted a quiet life in the countryside. | My parents wanted a serene life in the countryside. |
| Tranquil | We entered a quiet grove dappled in light. | We entered a tranquil grove dappled in light. | |
| Calm | When we go on vacation, we prioritize quiet mornings. | When we go on vacation, we prioritize calm mornings. | |
| Restful | Lisa is excited to have a quiet afternoon on her own. | Lisa is excited to have a restful afternoon on her own. | |
| Placid | I studied my reflection in the quiet surface of the pond. | I studied my reflection in the placid surface of the pond. | |
| Strong | Undisturbed | The beautiful town was the perfect place for the artist to spend a quiet month and find some peace of mind. | The beautiful town was the perfect place for the artist to spend an undisturbed month and find some peace of mind. |
| Secluded | At the end of the story, after all her adventures, the hero chooses to live in a quiet village. | At the end of the story, after all her adventures, the hero chooses to live in a secluded village. | |
| Weak | Arcadian | Theo built his cabin in the forest after years spent dreaming of having his own quiet paradise. | Theo built his cabin in the forest after years spent dreaming of having his own arcadian paradise. |
| Halcyon | Lia misses the quiet summers of her youth. | Lia misses the halcyon summers of her youth. |
The synonyms for quiet as a noun meaning “silence or calm” are similar to the synonyms for the adjective meaning “peaceful.” The weakest synonyms, “seclusion” and “solitude,” refer to a peaceful state that comes from being alone.
| Match | Synonym | Quiet example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Peace | The quiet in the garden was soothing. | The peace in the garden was soothing. |
| Tranquility | Agatha loves the quiet of her rural life, though she sometimes misses the city. | Agatha loves the tranquility of her rural life, though she sometimes misses the city. | |
| Serenity | My grandfather always wakes up early because he likes the quiet of the morning hours. | My grandfather always wakes up early because he likes the serenity of the morning hours. | |
| Relaxation | Mark enjoyed the quiet of his weekend. | Mark enjoyed the relaxation of his weekend. | |
| Strong | Quietness | Jason loves the quiet of deep winter snow days. | Jason loves the quietness of deep winter snow days. |
| Quietude | After the tantrum, the toddler fell into a state of quiet until he drifted off to sleep. | After the tantrum, the toddler fell into a state of quietude until he drifted off to sleep. | |
| Weak | Seclusion | The quiet of the mountains was exactly what Len needed. | The seclusion of the mountains was exactly what Len needed. |
| Solitude | Eric enjoyed the quiet of being alone. | Eric enjoyed the solitude of being alone. |
For synonyms for quiet as a verb, stronger synonyms have more general meanings, while weaker synonyms have more specific meanings. For example, “assuage” means “to make calm by making a negative feeling less intense,” and “appease” means “to make calm by meeting demands.”
| Match | Synonym | Quiet example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Silence | A stern look from her mother quieted the girl. | A stern look from her mother silenced the girl. |
| Hush | The teacher quieted us as the principal took the stage. | The teacher hushed us as the principal took the stage. | |
| Soothe | The mother quieted the tired baby with a lullaby. | The mother soothed the tired baby with a lullaby. | |
| Calm | The speaker quieted the crowd. | The speaker calmed the crowd. | |
| Pacify | I quieted my rambunctious puppy with a new chew toy. | I pacified my rambunctious puppy with a new chew toy. | |
| Strong | Settle | It’s difficult to quiet the children after lunch. | It’s difficult to settle the children after lunch. |
| Quell | The leader tried to quiet the unrest. | The leader tried to quell the unrest. | |
| Subdue | Oscar tried to quiet his anger. | Oscar tried to subdue his anger. | |
| Squash | She attempted to quiet the rumors. | She attempted to squash the rumors. | |
| Assuage | I spoke gently to quiet her fears. | I spoke gently to assuage her fears. | |
| Appease | The council only passed that law to quiet the complaints. | The council only passed that law to appease the complaints. |
Quiet as an adverb is mostly used in American English, especially in Southern and Appalachian dialects. “Quietly” is the more popular adverb form, although quiet appears in some dictionaries. Since this use isn’t as common, only a few synonyms are listed below.
| Match | Synonym | Quiet example | Synonym example |
|---|---|---|---|
| Strongest | Quietly | Why are they talking so quiet over there in the corner? | Why are they talking so quietly over there in the corner? |
| Silently | That electric engine runs quiet. | That electric engine runs silently. | |
| Softly | He spoke quiet so he wouldn’t wake the children. | He spoke softly so he wouldn’t wake the children. | |
| Still | Lie quiet and no one will realize you’re there. | Lie still and no one will realize you’re there. |
Frequently asked questions about quiet synonyms
- What’s the meaning of quiet quitting?
-
“Quiet quitting” means doing the minimum required of a job, without taking on any additional tasks or responsibilities beyond the job description, often before eventually leaving the position.
“Quiet quitting” is sometimes referred to by different names using synonyms for quiet, like “soft quitting” or “silent quitting.”
Don’t mix up quite and quiet; “quite quitting” doesn’t make sense. If you have any doubt about this phrase, use QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker.
- What’s the meaning of quiet vacationing?
-
“Quiet vacationing” means taking time off without formally requesting vacation leave. Employees who do this typically continue to appear active or available online when they’re actually away.
This phrase generally isn’t used with synonyms for quiet (e.g., you don’t say “silent vacationing”). And don’t mix up quite and quiet; “quite vacationing” doesn’t mean anything.
If you have any doubt about how to use this phrase, try QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker.
- What’s the meaning of peace and quiet?
-
“Peace and quiet” is an idiom that means “a state of calm or relaxation, free from noise and disturbance.”
Given that idioms are fixed phrases, you cannot use “peace and quiet” with synonyms for quiet (e.g., “peace and silence,” while making sense, doesn’t sound natural).
“Peace and quiet” is similar to the idiom “peace of mind,” which focuses more on your mental state than the environment around you.
If you aren’t sure how to use these idioms correctly in your writing, QuillBot’s free Grammar Checker is there to help.
