quietly

quietly — adverb

1. producing hardly any sound when you move, speak, or carry out an action

1.adverbB1
Definition

producing hardly any sound when you move, speak, or carry out an action

Example

Sari crept quietly down the stairs to avoid waking the baby.

crept quietly + infinitive purpose clause

A small fan hummed quietly on the desk beside the sleeping cat.

hummed quietly — describing a soft machine sound

Common collocations
  • speak quietly
  • whisper quietly
  • creep quietly
  • close the door quietly
  • move quietly
Synonyms
  • softly

    emphasises low volume of sound itself, not the action producing it

  • silently

    suggests complete absence of sound, not just low volume

  • in a low voice

    specifically about speaking, not general actions

Antonyms
  • loudly

    produces a high volume of sound

  • noisily

    produces disruptive or unpleasant sound

Grammar Patterns

modifies a verb describing an action that can be done with or without sound

Common Mistakes

She spoke quiet during the meeting.
She spoke quietly during the meeting.
'Quiet' is an adjective; the adverb form 'quietly' is needed after the verb.
The car moved quiet down the street.
The car moved quietly down the street.
Manner adverbs describing how something is done require the -ly form.

2. without letting other people notice what you are doing, often because you choose

2.adverbB1
Definition

without letting other people notice what you are doing, often because you choose not to talk about it

Example

Ilan quietly left the party before anyone noticed he was gone.

quietly left — discreet departure from a social event

The organisation has been quietly helping refugee families in the city.

quietly helping — charitable work done without publicity

Common collocations
  • quietly leave
  • quietly help
  • quietly work
  • quietly plan
  • quietly resigned
Synonyms
  • discreetly

    suggests careful behaviour to avoid causing embarrassment or attracting notice

  • secretly

    implies intentional concealment from others, often stronger than 'quietly'

  • privately

    emphasises that something is done away from public view, not necessarily hidden

Antonyms
  • publicly

    done in full view or with the knowledge of many people

  • openly

    done without hiding anything from others

Grammar Patterns

modifies a verb describing an action that can be done without others noticing

Usage Note

Common with verbs that describe personal decisions, charitable actions, or departures. The focus is on the lack of public awareness rather than on sound level.

Common Mistakes

She quietly decided to quit, but she told everyone about it.
She quietly decided to quit without telling anyone.
The adverb only makes sense if the action is actually kept private or low-key.

3. in a calm and untroubled way, without noise, disturbance, or busy activity

3.adverbB1
Definition

in a calm and untroubled way, without noise, disturbance, or busy activity

Example

After the storm passed, the sea lay quietly under the morning sun.

lay quietly — describing a natural scene after disturbance

The old dog slept quietly by the fireplace all afternoon.

slept quietly — peaceful rest without disturbance

Common collocations
  • sit quietly
  • sleep quietly
  • lie quietly
  • rest quietly
  • wait quietly
Synonyms
  • peacefully

    emphasises freedom from disturbance or conflict more strongly

  • calmly

    suggests emotional composure and lack of agitation

  • serenely

    suggests a deeper, more spiritual kind of peace — more formal

Antonyms
  • restlessly

    in a way that shows agitation or inability to stay still

  • frantically

    in a hurried, anxious, or chaotic way

Grammar Patterns

modifies a stative verb or verb describing a resting state

Usage Note

Often describes the state of an environment, a person at rest, or nature. Unlike sense 1 ('LOW SOUND'), this sense focuses on an overall feeling of calm rather than the volume of a specific action.

Common Mistakes

The children played quietly when they were fighting.
The children played quietly in the living room, building a tower of blocks.
The adverb describes calm activity, not conflict.

Word family

Synonym discussion

Sense: adverb/2

All four words describe doing something without drawing attention, but they differ in how hidden the action is and why. 'Quietly' is the most neutral — it simply means few people notice, whether by intention or circumstance. 'Discreetly' adds a social awareness: you avoid embarrassment or awkwardness for yourself or others (e.g. 'He discreetly paid for the meal before anyone could argue'). 'Secretly' implies active concealment — others would be surprised or upset if they found out (e.g. 'She secretly saved money for a divorce lawyer'). 'Privately' focuses on keeping something within a small circle rather than from the public (e.g. 'The board discussed the matter privately before the vote'). When you quietly help a neighbour, you do it without fuss; when you secretly help, you hide it from someone who might object.

quietly ↗discreetly ↗secretly ↗privately ↗

Common collocations

Adverbs

Phrases

  • as quietly as possible
  • as quietly as one can

Etymology

LatinOld FrenchMiddle EnglishEnglish

Comes from the Latin word 'quietus', meaning calm, still, or at rest. This passed into Old French as 'quiete', and then into Middle English as 'quiet' around the 1300s. The suffix '-ly' was added to turn the adjective 'quiet' into the adverb 'quietly', following the common English pattern for forming adverbs from adjectives.