quaint

[ kweynt ]

adjective

, quaint·er, quaint·est.

1. having an old-fashioned attractiveness or charm; oddly picturesque:

   a quaint old house.

   Synonyms: archaic, antiquated

2. strange, peculiar, or unusual in an interesting, pleasing, or amusing way:

   a quaint sense of humor.

   Synonyms: uncommon, curious

   Antonyms: ordinary

3. skillfully or cleverly made.
4. Obsolete. wise; skilled.

quaint

/ kweɪnt /

adjective

1. attractively unusual, esp in an old-fashioned style

   a quaint village

2. odd, peculiar, or inappropriate

   a quaint sense of duty

Derived Forms

• ˈquaintness, noun
• ˈquaintly, adverb

Other Words From

• quaintly adverb
• quaintness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of quaint¹

First recorded in 1175–1225; Middle English queinte, from Old French, variant of cointe “clever, pleasing,” from Latin cognitus “learned, known,” past participle of cognōscere “to learn, become acquainted”; cognition

Word History and Origins

Origin of quaint¹

C13 (in the sense: clever): from Old French cointe, from Latin cognitus known, from cognoscere to ascertain

Example Sentences

John Tanton grew up as an all-American farm boy in an almost mythologically quaint version of America.

From Salon

Sadly, in this era, the benefits of restoring the very notion of checks and balances that birthed the nation have come to seem ever more like a quaint dream.

From Salon

The morning I meet Michael Schneider at a quaint coffee shop in Glendale, it quickly becomes clear that he walked here.

From Los Angeles Times

From the strand it’s a win-win for the walking class no matter the direction, thanks to a wide swath of sandy beach and the mighty Pacific on one side and quaint, artsy neighborhoods with mural-covered walls and funky yarn art trees on the other.

From Los Angeles Times

When I read Margaret Atwood’s book when it came out in 1984, it seemed like a quaint nightmare.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• antiquated
• archaic
• charming
• curious
• cute
• fanciful
• picturesque
• twee
• whimsical