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

Although nearly half of Fresno County is dominated by agriculture, the city of Fresno is California’s fifth-largest city and long ago shed its identity as a quaint farm town.

From Los Angeles Times

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

Harris' bipartisan outreach to the small group of Republican apostates is downright quaint by comparison.

From Salon

So I walked past bar after bar filled with Yankees fans and made my way to Taqueria St. Marks Place on the quaint, quiet, off-the-beaten path street of St. Marks Place in the East Village.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

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