quaint

adjective

ˈkwānt How to pronounce quaint (audio)
Definition of quaintnext
1
as in bizarre
different from the ordinary in a way that causes curiosity or suspicion the sudden appearance of a man dressed in quaint clothes immediately drew the notice of passersby

Synonyms & Similar Words

Relevance

Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in antique
pleasantly reminiscent of an earlier time a quaint general store on one of the back roads of Vermont

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Synonym Chooser

How is the word quaint distinct from other similar adjectives?

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.

a quaint fishing village

When is it sensible to use eccentric instead of quaint?

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.

the eccentric eating habits of preschoolers

Where would erratic be a reasonable alternative to quaint?

While the synonyms erratic and quaint are close in meaning, erratic stresses a capricious and unpredictable wandering or deviating.

a friend's suddenly erratic behavior

When might odd be a better fit than quaint?

In some situations, the words odd and quaint are roughly equivalent. However, odd applies to a departure from the regular or expected.

an odd sense of humor

When could outlandish be used to replace quaint?

The synonyms outlandish and quaint are sometimes interchangeable, but outlandish applies to what is uncouth, bizarre, or barbaric.

outlandish fashions of the time

In what contexts can peculiar take the place of quaint?

Although the words peculiar and quaint have much in common, peculiar implies a marked distinctiveness.

the peculiar status of America's first lady

When would singular be a good substitute for quaint?

The words singular and quaint can be used in similar contexts, but singular suggests individuality or puzzling strangeness.

a singular feeling of impending disaster

When is strange a more appropriate choice than quaint?

While in some cases nearly identical to quaint, strange stresses unfamiliarity and may apply to the foreign, the unnatural, the unaccountable.

a journey filled with strange sights

When can unique be used instead of quaint?

The meanings of unique and quaint largely overlap; however, unique implies singularity and the fact of being without a known parallel.

a career unique in the annals of science

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of quaint But World Liberty makes renting hotel rooms look quaint by comparison. —Kyle Chayka, New Yorker, 14 May 2025 Looking back, the idea that two newspapers sharing a printing press could violate antitrust laws is laughably quaint. —Megan Greenwell, Rolling Stone, 5 June 2025 The notion that China and Russia are just competitors is quaint but wrong. —Michael Miklaucic, Twin Cities, 5 Apr. 2025 And the government’s portrayal of the situation was quaint, if not fanciful. —Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 13 Mar. 2025 See All Example Sentences for quaint
Recent Examples of Synonyms for quaint
  1. bizarre
  2. antique
  3. strange
  4. vintage
  5. funny
  6. retro
  7. odd
  8. antiquated
Adjective
  • Some 40 of these bizarre, geochemically-active sub-Neptunes are currently being studied observationally.
    — Bruce Dorminey, Forbes.com, 15 July 2025
  • As a result of a bizarre last-minute decision, the nominees in two Emmys categories will be announced Tuesday morning on CBS nearly four hours ahead of the TV Academy’s official nominations announcement, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
    — Beatrice Verhoeven, HollywoodReporter, 14 July 2025
Definition of bizarre
Adjective
  • Just off the sand, antique shops and farm stands along the streets of Southampton give it a small-town feel.
    — AFAR Media, AFAR Media, 14 July 2025
  • Consider looking for these pieces at a souvenir shop on your next beach vacation or at an antique store, which will give them a special meaning.
    — Tessa Cooper, Better Homes & Gardens, 13 July 2025
Definition of antique
Adjective
  • That same day, the AI chatbot Grok, which is controlled by Musk’s xAI, kicked off its own strange Epstein tirade.
    — John Hyatt, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
  • His disjointed, dissonant rhythms were his attempt to accompany the chaos — like providing a real-time soundtrack to a strange silent movie.
    — David Kushner, Rolling Stone, 20 July 2025
Definition of strange
Adjective
  • Carrie had all this vintage YSL, all of these really great pieces.
    — Rachel Elspeth Gross, Forbes.com, 20 July 2025
  • Head to Andersonville for its Vintage Market, featuring a lot of old stuff, from vintage kitsch to antique treasures.
    — Jennifer Day, Chicago Tribune, 17 July 2025
Definition of vintage
Adjective
  • His voice is too funny, too smart and too important to go quietly into the night.
    — Kelly Lawler, USA Today, 19 July 2025
  • But a funny thing happened on the way to this flexible-rate nirvana.
    — Brian Domitrovic, Forbes.com, 19 July 2025
Definition of funny
Adjective
  • These retro sandals are a packable vacation pick that’s both on-trend and functional, and they’re fitted with the woven exterior and adjustable straps that this style is so well-known for.
    — Merrell Readman, Travel + Leisure, 24 July 2025
  • Shop for antiques at the Tri-State Antiques Market Find a new piece for your collection at Indiana's largest antiques and vintage-only market, featuring over 200 vendors with a wide variety of vintage and retro goods.
    — Caroline Ritzie, The Enquirer, 2 July 2025
Definition of retro
Adjective
  • The ever-changing face of modern gin has birthed many styles to pique the palate of the gin aficionado—or anyone partial to the odd G&T.
    — Camille Berry, Vogue, 15 July 2025
  • Depicted as short and animalistic in the comics, the tall, hunky Jackman seemed like an odd fit, but his interpretation of the retractable-clawed superhero is now definitive in mainstream popular culture.
    — EW.com, EW.com, 14 July 2025
Definition of odd
Adjective
  • In a later post, Trump threatened to scuttle the Commanders' plans for a new stadium, which would move the team from its current location in Maryland back to the nation's capital after renovating an antiquated stadium on federal property.
    — Rob Stein, NPR, 20 July 2025
  • Updated our antiquated Town Charter to modernize governance, align with state statutes, and ensure transparency.
    — Danielle Wong, Hartford Courant, 16 July 2025
Definition of antiquated

Browse Nearby Words

quails
quaint
quais
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Quaint.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/quaint. Accessed 30 Jul. 2025.

Copy Citation

Share

More from Merriam-Webster on quaint

Nglish: Translation of quaint for Spanish Speakers

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

'Affect' vs. 'Effect'

Using Bullet Points ( • )

The Difference Between 'i.e.' and 'e.g.'

Democracy or Republic: What's the difference?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World

Better Ways to Say 'This Sucks'

8 Words with Fascinating Histories
See More

Popular

See More

How to Use Em Dashes (—), En Dashes (–) , and Hyphens (-)

Our Best Historical Slang Terms

Even More Bird Names that Sound Like Insults (and Sometimes Are)
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
anagrams on a chalk board
Word Builder Quiz Pick the letter that when added to a word will ma...
See All