different between soften vs quiet

English

Etymology

From Middle English softenen, softnen, equivalent to soft +? -en.

Pronunciation

• (Received Pronunciation) IPA^(key): /?s?f?n/, enPR: s?f?en
• (US) IPA^(key): /?s?f?n/, enPR: sôf?en
• (US, cot–caught merger, Canada) IPA^(key): /?s?f?n/, enPR: s?f?en

Verb

soften (third-person singular simple present softens, present participle softening, simple past and past participle softened)

1. (transitive) To make something soft or softer.

   Soften the butter before beating in the sugar.

2. (transitive) To undermine the morale of someone (often soften up).

   Before the invasion, we softened up the enemy with the artillery.

3. (transitive) To make less harsh

   Having second thoughts, I softened my criticism.
4. (intransitive) To become soft or softer

   The butter softened as it warmed up.

Derived terms

• soften the ground
• softener

Translations

See also

• mollify
• neshen

Anagrams

• Sefton

English

Etymology

From Middle English quiete, from Old French quiet (adjective) and quiete (noun), from Latin qui?tus, past participle of qui?scere (“to keep quiet, rest”). Doublet of coy and quietus.

Pronunciation

• enPR: kw?'?t, IPA^(key): /?kwa?.?t/
• (weak vowel merger) enPR: kw?'?t, IPA^(key): /?kwa?.?t/
• Rhymes: -a??t

Adjective

quiet (comparative quieter or more quiet, superlative quietest or most quiet)

1. With little or no sound; free of disturbing noise.

2. Having little motion or activity; calm.

3. Not busy, of low quantity.

4. Not talking much or not talking loudly; reserved.

5. Not showy; undemonstrative.

6. (software) Requiring little or no interaction.

Quotations

• For quotations using this term, see Citations:quiet.

Synonyms

• (with little sound): See also Thesaurus:silent
• (having little motion): See also Thesaurus:calm
• (not busy): slow, unbusy
• (not talking): See also Thesaurus:taciturn
• (not showy): modest, plain, simple

Antonyms

• loud
• sounded
• vocal

Translations

Verb

quiet (third-person singular simple present quiets, present participle quieting, simple past and past participle quieted)

1. To become quiet, silent, still, tranquil, calm.

   Synonyms: quiet down, quieten

2. To cause someone to become quiet.

   Synonyms: quiet down, quieten

Translations

Noun

quiet (plural quiets)

1. The absence of sound; quietness.

2. the absence of movement; stillness, tranquility

Translations

Interjection

quiet

1. Be quiet.

Related terms

Further reading

• quiet in Webster’s Revised Unabridged Dictionary, G. & C. Merriam, 1913.
• quiet in The Century Dictionary, New York, N.Y.: The Century Co., 1911.
• quiet at OneLook Dictionary Search
• Douglas Harper (2001–2021) , “quiet”, in Online Etymology Dictionary

Anagrams

• quite

Catalan

Etymology

First attested 1490. From Latin qui?tus, in this form probably a borrowing or a semi-learned term; cf. also the Old Catalan form quet, queda, which was likely inherited.

Pronunciation

• (Balearic) IPA^(key): /ki??t/
• (Central) IPA^(key): /ki??t/
• (Valencian) IPA^(key): /ki?et/

Adjective

quiet (feminine quieta, masculine plural quiets, feminine plural quietes)

1. calm, stopped
2. quiet

Synonyms

• aturat
• detingut

Related terms

• quedar

Copallén

Noun

quiet

1. water

References

• Willem F. H. Adelaar, The Languages of the Andes

French

Etymology

Borrowed from Latin qui?tus, from qui?s (“rest”). Doublet of coi, which was inherited, and quitte, another borrowing.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): /kj?/

Adjective

quiet (feminine singular quiète, masculine plural quiets, feminine plural quiètes)

1. (rare, literary) calm, quiet, peaceful, at ease

Synonyms

• See calme

Related terms

• quiétude

Usage notes

Its antonym inquiet is much more common.

Further reading

• “quiet” in Trésor de la langue française informatisé (The Digitized Treasury of the French Language).

Occitan

Etymology

From Latin qui?tus.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): [?kjet]

Adjective

quiet m (feminine singular quieta, masculine plural quiets, feminine plural quietas)

1. calm, stopped
2. quiet

Synonyms

• suau
• tranquil