quaint
adjective
Herman Melville
Synonyms
- bizarre
- bizarro
- cranky
- crazy
- curious
- eccentric
- erratic
- far-out
- funky
- funny
- kinky
- kooky
- kookie
- odd
- off-kilter
- off-the-wall
- offbeat
- out-of-the-way
- outlandish
- outré
- peculiar
- queer
- queerish
- quirky
- remarkable
- rum [chiefly British]
- screwy
- spaced-out
- strange
- wacky
- whacky
- way-out
- weird
- weirdo
- wild
Example Sentences
Tim Fish, Wine Spectator, 15 June 2008 Therefore, when the federal Constitutional Convention decided in 1787 that U.S. senators would be appointed by state legislatures rather than elected by the people at large, the drafters were actually placing the choice of U.S. senators in the control of state leaders who had met their states' highest qualifications for property and religion. Today, these property and religious qualifications are likely to strike us as quaint historical oddities. Richard N. Rosenfeld, Harper's, May 2004 Five minutes by ferry from the bustling concrete depths of Wall Street sits what could be a quaint New England town: stately, collegiate buildings framed by tree-lined walkways where the wind rustles through aging oak trees. Andrea Elliott, New York Times, 25 July 2003 The fishing village was very quaint. The writer talks about the quaint customs of the natives. Stefanie Dazio, Time, 31 May 2020 The quaint normalcy of that simple exchange nearly brought me to tears. Mark Kurlyandchik, Detroit Free Press, 26 May 2020 No more elbow-to-elbow shopping in the quaint store or noshing on barbecue in a rocking chair under the pavilion ― at least for now. Kim Pierce, Dallas News, 13 May 2020 On April 27, Martinez and Gonzalez decided to get married in a quaint courthouse ceremony. Emilie Eaton, ExpressNews.com, 10 May 2020 Plus, Palacios offers quaint local shops and restaurants. Houston Chronicle, 9 May 2020 Sultan, a pita bread factory and quaint pastry shop on an otherwise bare stretch of Stockton Avenue, is known for its variety of Middle Eastern sweets. Soleil Ho, SFChronicle.com, 27 Feb. 2020 The story centers Cassie, a med school dropout who lives with her parents and works at a quaint coffee shop. Joi Childs, Teen Vogue, 30 Jan. 2020 Fiona, a New York City real estate broker retreats to her family’s quaint Vermont inn after being dumped by her boyfriend, Nate When Nate shows up at the inn with a new girlfriend, Fiona devises a plan to win him back. Los Angeles Times, 4 Oct. 2019 See More Word History
Middle English queinte, cointe, from Anglo-French, clever, expert, from Latin cognitus, past participle of cognoscere to know — more at cognition
13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 3
Kids Definition
quaint
adjective
quaint
adjective
Synonyms & Similar Words
- bizarre
- strange
- funny
- weird
- odd
- peculiar
- curious
- remarkable
- eccentric
- quirky
- erratic
- unusual
- crazy
- unique
- funky
- abnormal
- offbeat
- outré
- kooky
- outlandish
- wacky
- unconventional
- wild
- out-of-the-way
- kinky
- bizarro
- screwy
- weirdo
- outrageous
- whacky
- queer
- fantastical
- fantastic
- extraordinary
- off-the-wall
- queerish
- uncommon
- off-kilter
- kookie
- far-out
- rum
- outstanding
- cranky
- way-out
- rare
- striking
- atypical
- prominent
- spaced-out
- freaky
- conspicuous
- aberrant
- flaky
- idiosyncratic
- shocking
- freakish
- noticeable
- singular
- phantasmagoric
- phenomenal
- freak
- notable
- salient
- puzzling
- baffling
- perplexing
- bewildering
- uncustomary
- phantasmagorical
- unorthodox
- mystifying
- crotchety
- unwonted
- nonmainstream
- atrocious
- nonconformist
- confounding
- addlepated
- out-there
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- typical
- normal
- ordinary
- commonplace
- usual
- unremarkable
- prosaic
- standard
- average
- garden
- routine
- everyday
- conventional
- conservative
- familiar
- unexceptional
- workaday
- predictable
- conformist
- run-of-the-mill
- common
- customary
- regular
- frequent
- expected
- habitual
- knee-jerk
- wonted
Synonyms & Similar Words
- antique
- vintage
- retro
- antiquated
- historic
- historical
- traditional
- old-timey
- old-world
- old-fashioned
- ancient
- old-time
- outmoded
- old-school
- obsolete
- retrograde
- outdated
- former
- past
- fusty
- stodgy
- olden
- aged
- anachronistic
- passé
- dated
- bygone
- timeless
- oldfangled
- forgotten
- rinky-dink
- hoary
- venerable
- outworn
- antediluvian
- musty
- late
- superannuated
- atavistic
- old hat
- moldy
- ageless
- fossilized
- anachronous
- out-of-date
- erstwhile
- age-old
- anachronic
- remote
- moth-eaten
- dateless
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- modern
- contemporary
- modernistic
- new
- current
- modernist
- newfangled
- ultramodern
- stylish
- fashionable
- fresh
- chic
- hot
- new age
- modernized
- smart
- mod
- new-fashioned
- designer
- updated
- present-day
- remodeled
- state-of-the-art
- space-age
- up-to-date
- refurbished
- last
- nontraditional
- futuristic
- latest
- renewed
- red-hot
- recent
- high-tech
- hi-tech
- latter-day
Synonym Chooser
Some common synonyms of quaint are eccentric, erratic, odd, outlandish, peculiar, singular, strange, and unique. While all these words mean "departing from what is ordinary, usual, or to be expected," quaint suggests an old-fashioned but pleasant oddness.
The words eccentric and quaint are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, eccentric suggests a wide divergence from the usual or normal especially in behavior.
While the synonyms erratic and quaint are close in meaning, erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.
In some situations, the words odd and quaint are roughly equivalent. However, odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.
The synonyms outlandish and quaint are sometimes interchangeable, but outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.
Although the words peculiar and quaint have much in common, peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.
The words singular and quaint can be used in similar contexts, but singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.
While in some cases nearly identical to quaint, strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.
The meanings of unique and quaint largely overlap; however, unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.