What does quieten mean?
To quieten something is to make it quieter, calmer, or less active. The word is especially useful when the subject is noise, a crowd, public concern, opposition, anxiety, or another form of agitation. It can be transitive, as in “The measures helped to quieten fears,” or intransitive, as in “The room quieted as the lights dimmed.” Although “quiet” is also a verb, “quieten” often conveys a more deliberate process of reducing noise or emotional intensity. It is particularly common in British and Australian English, while American speakers often use “quiet down” in conversation and reserve “quieten” for more formal registers. The word is therefore useful both as a straightforward verb meaning “hush” and as a somewhat more formal expression for calming a situation or easing concern.
verbTo make something or someone less noisy, active, or agitated; to calm or moderate something.
- To make something less noisy.
- To reduce the intensity, activity, or agitation of something.
- To become quiet or less active.
"The speaker tried to quieten the crowd before announcing the result."
"Heavy rain quietened the streets outside the hall."
"The new measures were intended to quieten public concern about the scheme."
The suffix “-en” turns the adjective quiet into an action: to quieten is to bring a noisy or unsettled situation under control.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does quieten come from?
“Quieten” was formed in English by adding the suffix “-en” to “quiet.” The adjective “quiet” comes through Old French from Latin quietus, meaning “at rest” or “still.” The same Latin root also produced “quiescent” and “quiescence,” which retain the sense of being at rest or inactive.
Related word forms
How quieten is actually used
Most common in British and Australian English. In informal American English, “quiet down” is often preferred, although “quieten” is understood and used in formal and professional contexts.
Easily confused with quieten
As a verb, quiet means to make or become quiet, whereas quieten more explicitly suggests reducing noise, activity, or agitation.