Does the word "quite" have several definitions?

Question

Hello,
I'm speaking French and try to understand better the word "quite".

Does this word have several definitions like in the following sentence?

How to be a quite person?
or
Quite a lot of things.

Thanks,
Erik

Member "Insanity" is right, I made a confusion in the spelling..In fact there are 2 words..

Quite and Quiet!!

Thanks!

Answer 1

It's not a quite person, it's a quiet person.

Other examples:
There are quite a lot of comics in the closet.
I'm quite tired.
I'm having quite a nice time.

Maybe it means something like "assez." I'm not sure, though. I studied French a hundred years ago.

Answer 2

yes. As far as I know it has 2 different meanings. One is perfectly and completely and the other one rather or very.

Answer 3

Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1) - Cite This Source
quite /kwaɪt/ Pronunciation Key - Show Spelled Pronunciation[kwahyt] Pronunciation Key - Show IPA Pronunciation
–adverb 1. completely, wholly, or entirely: quite the reverse; not quite finished.
2. actually, really, or truly: quite a sudden change.
3. to a considerable extent or degree: quite small; quite objectionable.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[Origin: 1300–50; ME, adv. use of quit(e), a var. of quit(te) quit1, the meaning of the two forms not being distinct in ME]
Dictionary.com Unabridged (v 1.1)
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2006.
American Heritage Dictionary - Cite This Source quite (kwīt) Pronunciation Key
adv.
To the greatest extent; completely: quite alone; not quite finished. See Usage Note at perfect.
Actually; really: I'm quite positive about it.
To a degree; rather: quite soon; quite tasty.


[Middle English, from quite, clear, free, from Old French, from Latin quiētus, freed; see quiet.]


(Download Now or Buy the Book) The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2006 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
Online Etymology Dictionary - Cite This Source
quite

c.1330, adverbial form of M.E. quit, quite (adj.) "free, clear" (see quit). Originally "thoroughly;" the weaker sense of "fairly" is attested from mid-19c.

Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
WordNet - Cite This Source quite

adverb
1. to a degree (not used with a negative); "quite tasty"; "quite soon"; "quite ill"; "quite rich"
2. to the greatest extent; completely; "you're quite right"; "she was quite alone"; "was quite mistaken"; "quite the opposite"; "not quite finished"; "did not quite make it"
3. of an unusually noticeable or exceptional or remarkable kind (not used with a negative); "her victory was quite something"; "she's quite a girl"; "quite a film"; "quite a walk"; "we've had quite an afternoon"
4. actually or truly or to an extreme; "was quite a sudden change"; "it's quite the thing to do"; "quite the rage"; "Quite so!"

WordNet® 3.0, © 2006 by Princeton University.
Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version) - Cite This Source
quite1 [kwait] adverb

completely; entirely
Example: This is quite impossible. Arabic: تَماما، كُلِيَّا
Chinese (Simplified): 完全，十分，彻底
Chinese (Traditional): 完全，十分，徹底
Czech: naprosto; úplně
Danish: helt
Dutch: volkomen
Estonian: täiesti
Finnish: täysin
French: tout à fait
German: ganz
Greek: εντελώς
Hungarian: egész(en)
Icelandic: algerlega
Indonesian: sepenuhnya
Italian: completamente, del tutto*
Japanese: 全く
Korean: 전적으로, 완전히
Latvian: pilnīgi; galīgi
Lithuanian: visiškai
Norwegian: helt, fullstendig, absolutt
Polish: całkowicie
Portuguese (Brazil): totalmente
Portuguese (Portugal): completamente
Romanian: cu totul
Russian: совершенно
Slovak: úplne
Slovenian: popolnoma
Spanish: totalmente
Swedish: alldeles, fullkomligt
Turkish: tamamen



quite2 [kwait] adverb

fairly; rather; to a certain extent
Example: It's quite warm today; He's quite a good artist; I quite like the idea. Arabic: إلى حَدٍّ ما
Chinese (Simplified): 相当
Chinese (Traditional): 相當
Czech: dosti, docela
Danish: ret; nogenlunde
Dutch: nogal
Estonian: üsna
Finnish: melko
French: assez, plutôt
German: ganz
Greek: μάλλον, αρκετά, σε κάποιο βαθμό
Hungarian: meglehetősen
Icelandic: þó nokkuð, ansi; verulega
Indonesian: cukup
Italian: abbastanza, piuttosto
Japanese: かなり
Korean: 상당히, 제법
Latvian: visai; diezgan
Lithuanian: gana, ganėtinai
Norwegian: ganske, temmelig, nokså
Polish: całkiem
Portuguese (Brazil): bastante, razoavelmente
Portuguese (Portugal): bastante
Romanian: destul de
Russian: довольно, вполне
Slovak: dosť, celkom
Slovenian: precej
Spanish: bastante
Swedish: ganska, riktigt
Turkish: bir hayli, epeyce



quite [kwait] interjection

exactly; indeed; I agree
Example: `I think he is being unfair to her.' `Quite'. Arabic: بالضَّبْط، فِعْلا!
Chinese (Simplified): 的确
Chinese (Traditional): 的確
Czech: opravdu
Danish: det er klart
Dutch: precies
Estonian: just!
Finnish: totta
French: d'accord, en effet
German: durchaus
Greek: μάλλον, ναι (επιφ.)
Hungarian: meglehetősen
Icelandic: einmitt! sammála!
Indonesian: setuju
Italian: certo, proprio
Japanese: その通り
Latvian: tieši tā; kā tad!
Lithuanian: (tikrai) taip
Norwegian: akkurat!; (helt) riktig!
Polish: Właśnie!
Portuguese (Brazil): de fato
Portuguese (Portugal): exactamente
Romanian: într-ade­văr, de acord
Russian: (вот) именно; согласен
Slovak: naozaj
Slovenian: točno
Spanish: pues sí, así es
Swedish: alldeles riktigt, just det
Turkish: Kesinlikle; Gerçekten öyle



Kernerman English Multilingual Dictionary (Beta Version), © 2000-2006 K Dictionaries Ltd.