quaint — attractively unusual or old-fashioned in a charming way
Part of speech: ADJECTIVE
Definition: attractively unusual or old-fashioned in a charming way
Pronunciation (IPA): /kweɪnt/
Example Sentences
- The professor's quaint habit of wearing bow ties made him popular among students.
- She found his quaint notion that women shouldn't work rather outdated.
- The tourist brochure promised a quaint bed-and-breakfast experience, but we got a haunted house instead.
quaint
ADJECTIVE[/kweɪnt/]
attractively unusual or old-fashioned in a charming way

The quaint little bakery on the corner still uses a wood-fired oven.

Paint in a quaint cottage until you faint!
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🎤Pronunciation
🌳Etymology
Origin
From Old French 'cointe' meaning clever or sophisticated, derived from Latin 'cognitus' (known, acquainted). The word evolved through Middle English to acquire its modern sense of charmingly old-fashioned or quaintly unusual.
Breakdown
No clear morpheme breakdown in modern English; the word is a direct borrowing from Old French 'cointe' which itself derives from Latin 'cognitus' (past participle of 'cognoscere', meaning to know)
🎵Rhyme
🔗Collocations
📝Examples
“The professor's quaint habit of wearing bow ties made him popular among students.”
“She found his quaint notion that women shouldn't work rather outdated.”
“The tourist brochure promised a quaint bed-and-breakfast experience, but we got a haunted house instead.”
“The quaint cobblestone streets of the old town attract thousands of visitors each year.”
📚Related Words
Synonyms
Antonyms
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