A list of common English words starting with Q

Nouns starting with Q

Pronunciation

Definition

Example

Queen

/kwiːn/

A female ruler of a country or the wife of a king

The Queen of England is highly respected.

Question

/ˈkwes.tʃən/

A sentence or phrase used to ask for information

Peter asked an interesting question.

Queue

/kjuː/

A line of people or vehicles waiting for something

They stood in a long queue for tickets.

Quarter

/ˈkwɔːr.t̬ɚ/

One of four equal parts; a period of three months

In the first quarter of the year, sales increased by 20%.

Quilt

/kwɪlt/

A thick cover for a bed, made of layers of fabric stitched together

Linda made a beautiful patchwork quilt.

Quote

/kwoʊt/

A group of words repeated from a speech or text

The magazine published a famous quote from the author.

Quorum

/ˈkwɔːr.əm/

The minimum number of people needed to hold a meeting

We need a quorum to proceed with the meeting.

Quest

/kwest/

A long search for something difficult to find

Their quest for treasure led them to a remote island.

Quota

/ˈkwoʊ.t̬ə/

A fixed share or amount assigned to someone

Each salesperson has a monthly quota to meet.

Qualification

/ˌkwɑː.lə.fɪˈkeɪ.ʃən/

A skill, experience, or certificate proving someone is suitable for a job

She has all the qualifications for the job.

Quality

/ˈkwɒl.ə.ti/

The standard of something compared to other things like it

The quality of this product is outstanding.

Quack

/kwæk/

The sound a duck makes; a person pretending to be a doctor

The duck let out a loud quack.

Quadrant

/ˈkwɑː.drənt/

One of four equal parts of a circle

The circle was divided into four quadrants for analysis.

Quad

/kwɑːd/

An open square space in a school or college; a large thigh muscle

David walked across the college quad to get to class.

Quadrille

/kwɒˈdrɪl/

A traditional dance for four couples

They performed a lively quadrille at the ball.

Quarry

/ˈkwɔːr.i/

A place where stone is dug from the ground; an animal being hunted

The hunters finally caught their quarry.

Quay

/kiː/

A platform by the water where ships load and unload

The ship docked at the quay for unloading.

Quibble

/ˈkwɪb.əl/

A small, unimportant complaint or argument

Tom made a small quibble about the color of the design.

Quicksand

/ˈkwɪk.sænd/

A deep, wet area of sand that sucks in objects

Stay away from the swamp area; it’s full of quicksand.

Quicklime

/ˈkwɪk.laɪm/

A white powder made by heating limestone, used in construction

Quicklime is an important material in construction.

Quill

/kwɪl/

A large feather; an old-fashioned pen made from a feather

Jack wrote the letter using a quill.

Quip

/kwɪp/

A short, clever remark

She responded with a clever quip.

Quittance

/ˈkwɪt.əns/

A written release from a debt or obligation

He received a quittance for all his outstanding fees.

Quiver

/ˈkwɪv.ər/

A case for holding arrows

The archer carried a full quiver on his back.

Quotation

/kwoʊˈteɪ.ʃən/

A phrase or passage repeated from a book or speech

Susan included a quotation from Nelson Mandela in her essay.

Quoit

/kɔɪt/

A ring thrown over a peg in a game

They enjoyed playing quoits at the picnic.

Quahog

/ˈk(w)ɑː.hɒɡ/

A large, hard-shell clam

Clam chowder often uses quahogs as a main ingredient.

Quickstep

/ˈkwɪk.step/

A fast ballroom dance

They danced a lively quickstep during the competition.

Quartermaster

/ˈkwɔːr.t̬ɚˌmæs.tɚ/

An officer responsible for military supplies

The quartermaster handled supplies for the entire unit.

Quince

/kwɪns/

A hard, yellow fruit used in cooking

Quince jam is popular in some European countries.

Qawwali

/kəˈwɑː.li/

A form of spiritual music from South Asia

People enjoyed the soulful qawwali at the cultural festival.

Quagmire

/ˈkwæɡ.maɪər/

A wet, muddy area; a difficult situation

He found himself in a quagmire after failing to manage his finances properly.

Quantity

/ˈkwɑːn.t̬ə.t̬i/

The amount of something

We must check the quantity of raw materials before production.

Qualifier

/ˈkwɒl.ɪ.faɪ.ər/

A person or team that passes a selection round; a word that modifies another word

Our team became a qualifier for the final round.

Words that start with Q

Pronunciation

Meaning

Example

Quit

/kwɪt/

To stop doing something or leave a job

Ann decided to quit her job to explore new opportunities.

Quack

/kwæk/

To make the sound of a duck

The ducks quacked loudly in the pond.

Quadrate

/ˈkwɒd.reɪt/

To make square or conform

The engineer quadrated the design to fit the space exactly.

Quake

/kweɪk/

To shake or tremble

He began to quake with fear when he saw the snake.

Quarantine

/ˈkwɔːr.ən.tiːn/

To isolate to prevent disease spread

They had to quarantine the infected patients.

Quarrel

/ˈkwɒr.əl/

To argue or fight verbally

They often quarrel about trivial matters.

Quarter

/ˈkwɔːr.t̬ɚ/

To divide into four parts or provide housing

We need to quarter the cake for equal servings.

Quarterback

/ˈkwɔːr.tɚ.bæk/

To lead a team (esp. in American football)

Mike will quarterback the team in the next game.

Quash

/kwɒʃ/

To suppress or reject

The judge quashed the previous ruling.

Quaver

/ˈkweɪ.vər/

To shake or tremble (voice)

Her voice quavered with emotion during the speech.

Query

/ˈkwɪr.i/

To ask a question or doubt something

They queried the manager about the sudden price increase.

Queue

/kjuː/

To line up in an orderly manner

We must queue for the tickets if we want good seats.

Quicken

/ˈkwɪk.ən/

To speed up or accelerate

The pace of the project quickened after additional funding.

Quell

/kwel/

To suppress or subdue

The government tried to quell the protest.

Quiver

/ˈkwɪv.ər/

To tremble or shake

Her lips quivered when she heard the bad news.

Quadruple

/kwɑːˈdruː.pəl/

To increase fourfold

The company aims to quadruple its revenue in five years.

Quaff

/kwɑːf/

To drink heartily

They sat around the fire, quaffing ale and chatting.

Quantify

/ˈkwɒn.tɪ.faɪ/

To measure or express in numbers

It’s hard to quantify the impact of social media on mental health.

Quiet

/ˈkwaɪ.ət/

To make or become silent

Mary tried to quiet the crying baby.

Queer

/kwɪr/

(Slang) To spoil or ruin something

He queered the deal by revealing confidential information.

Quiz

/kwɪz/

To test or question

The teacher quizzed the students on yesterday’s lesson.

Quote

/kwoʊt/

To cite someone’s words

She often quotes Shakespeare in her speeches.

Qualify

/ˈkwɒl.ɪ.faɪ/

To meet the requirements

He trained hard to qualify for the championship.

Quibble

/ˈkwɪb.əl/

To argue about small details

Don’t quibble over minor details; focus on the main idea.

Quadruplicate

/kwɒˈdruː.plɪ.keɪt/

To copy four times

The documents were quadruplicated for distribution.

Quitclaim

/ˈkwɪt.kleɪm/

To give up a legal right

He quitclaimed his interest in the property to his brother.

Quintuple

/kwɪnˈtjuː.pəl/

To increase fivefold

The organization hopes to quintuple membership in two years.

Words beginning with Q

Pronunciation

Meaning

Example

Quaint

/kweɪnt/

Attractive in an old-fashioned or unusual way

We visited a quaint little village in the countryside.

Qualified

/ˈkwɒl.ɪ.faɪd/

Having the necessary training, skills, or experience

She is highly qualified for this position.

Quick

/kwɪk/

Moving fast or doing something in a short time

John made a quick decision.

Quiet

/ˈkwaɪ.ət/

Making little or no noise; calm and peaceful

This library is always quiet.

Quick-witted

/ˌkwɪkˈwɪt.ɪd/

Able to think and respond quickly and intelligently

A quick-witted speaker can handle tough questions easily.

Questionable

/ˈkwes.tʃə.nə.bəl/

Not certain or reliable; likely to be wrong

His explanation seems questionable.

Quarrelsome

/ˈkwɒr.əl.səm/

Often arguing or ready to fight

They’re a quarrelsome couple, always arguing over small things.

Quadratic

/kwɒˈdræt.ɪk/

Relating to the second power of a number or quantity

This is a quadratic equation you need to solve.

Quadrilateral

/ˌkwɒd.rɪˈlæt.ər.əl/

A flat shape with four sides and four angles

A square is a quadrilateral shape with equal sides.

Quadruple

/kwɑːˈdruː.pəl/

To increase by four times; consisting of four parts

They had a quadruple wedding ceremony—four couples married at once.

Qualitative

/ˈkwɒl.ɪ.tə.tɪv/

Relating to the quality or standard of something rather than quantity

We need a qualitative analysis of customer feedback.

Quantitative

/ˈkwɒn.tɪ.tə.tɪv/

Relating to amounts or numbers that can be measured

A quantitative study focuses on numerical data.

Quantum

/ˈkwɑːn.təm/

The smallest possible unit of energy in physics; a great or sudden change

This discovery represents a quantum leap in technology.

Quiescent

/kwaɪˈes.ənt/

Not active, developing, or causing symptoms at the moment

The volcano is currently quiescent, but it could erupt again.

Quirky

/ˈkwɝː.ki/

Unusual in an interesting or attractive way

Her quirky fashion sense makes her stand out.

Quenchless

/ˈkwentʃ.ləs/

Impossible to satisfy or extinguish

He has a quenchless thirst for knowledge.

Quippish

/ˈkwɪp.ɪʃ/

Tending to make clever or sarcastic remarks

Her quippish remarks kept the conversation light and fun.

Quintessential

/ˌkwɪn.tɪˈsen.ʃəl/

Representing the perfect example of something

Paris is the quintessential city of romance.

Quadragenarian

/ˌkwɒd.rə.dʒəˈneə.ri.ən/

A person between 40 and 49 years old

A quadragenarian parent might have different priorities than a younger one.

Quaquaversal

/ˌkwæk.wəˈvɜː.səl/

Spreading out in all directions from a central point

The quaquaversal design ensures airflow in all directions.

Quasi-stellar

/ˈkweɪ.saɪ.stel.ər/

Very bright and similar in appearance to a star

A quasi-stellar object is extremely luminous.

Quaternary

/kwəˈtɝː.nə.ri/

Fourth in order or rank; relating to the most recent geological period

The Quaternary period spans the last 2.6 million years.

Queasy

/ˈkwiː.zi/

Feeling sick or uncomfortable; nervous or worried

He felt queasy after the boat ride.

Quixotic

/kwɪkˈsɒt.ɪk/

Extremely idealistic and impractical

His quixotic quest for perfection often led to disappointment.

Quotable

/ˈkwoʊ.t̬ə.bəl/

Worth repeating or easy to remember

The speech was full of quotable lines.

Queenly

/ˈkwiːn.li/

Having the dignity or appearance of a queen

She carried herself with a queenly grace.

Queen-sized

/ˈkwiːn.saɪzd/

Larger than standard size, usually used for beds

They purchased a queen-sized bed for the new apartment.

Quantifiable

/ˈkwɒn.tɪ.faɪ.ə.bəl/

Able to be measured or counted in numbers

The effects of the policy are hardly quantifiable.

Quizzical

/ˈkwɪz.ɪ.kəl/

Showing slight confusion, amusement, or curiosity

She gave him a quizzical look when he arrived late.

Quadrennial

/kwɒˈdren.i.əl/

Happening once every four years

The Olympics is a quadrennial event.

Words beginning with Q

Phonetics

Definition

Example

Quickly

/ˈkwɪk.li/

at a fast speed; after only a short time

Please respond quickly to the email.

Quietly

/ˈkwaɪ.ət.li/

in a way that makes little or no noise; in a calm or gentle way

Emily left the room quietly.

Quite

/kwaɪt/

to some degree; completely or absolutely

It’s quite cold outside.

Questionably

/ˈkwes.tʃə.nə.bli/

in a way that causes doubt or is open to question

He looked at the results questionably.

Quaintly

/ˈkweɪnt.li/

in an attractive but old-fashioned way

The house was quaintly decorated with vintage furniture.

Qualifiedly

/ˈkwɒl.ɪ.faɪ.ɪd.li/

in a way that is limited or restricted in some way

She qualifiedly agreed to join the project, pending further details.

Quarrelsomely

/ˈkwɒr.əl.səm.li/

in a way that shows a tendency to argue or disagree

They spoke quarrelsomely, always picking fights.

Quadratically

/kwɒˈdræt.ɪk.li/

in a way that relates to a mathematical function involving the square of a number

The function grows quadratically over time.

Qualitatively

/ˈkwɒl.ɪ.tə.tɪv.li/

in a way that relates to the quality or nature of something rather than its quantity

We have to evaluate the results qualitatively.

Quantitatively

/ˈkwɒn.tɪ.tə.tɪv.li/

in a way that relates to the amount or number of something

The data was analyzed quantitatively using statistical methods.

Quizzically

/ˈkwɪz.ɪ.kəl.i/

in a way that shows confusion, curiosity, or amusement

She looked at him quizzically, wondering what he meant.

Quixotically

/kwɪkˈsɒt.ɪk.li/

in a way that is extremely idealistic, impractical, or unrealistic

Noah quixotically attempted to fix the world’s problems overnight.

Quiescently

/kwaɪˈes.ənt.li/

in a quiet, inactive, or dormant state

The volcano is quiescently resting now.

Quirkily

/ˈkwɝː.ki.li/

in a way that is unusual or slightly strange in an interesting way

She dresses quirkily, but it suits her personality.

Quenchlessly

/ˈkwentʃ.ləs.li/

in a way that cannot be satisfied or extinguished

He pursued knowledge quenchlessly.

Quippishly

/ˈkwɪp.ɪʃ.li/

in a way that is witty or full of clever remarks

She replied quippishly to lighten the mood.

Quintessentially

/ˌkwɪn.tɪˈsen.ʃəl.i/

in a way that represents the most typical or perfect example of something

The region is quintessentially Italian, full of vineyards and old architecture.

Queasily

/ˈkwiː.zɪl.i/

in a way that makes you feel sick or uncomfortable

He felt queasily ill after the roller coaster.

Quotably

/ˈkwoʊ.t̬ə.bli/

in a way that is worth being quoted or repeated

He spoke so quotably that the audience kept writing notes.

Quantifiably

/ˈkwɒn.tɪ.faɪ.ə.bli/

in a way that can be measured or expressed as an amount

The performance improved quantifiably after the new training regime.

Quaternarily

/kwəˈtɝː.nə.rɪl.i/

in a way that relates to four parts or the Quaternary period in geology

The species evolved quaternarily during the last ice age.

Quadrilaterally

/ˌkwɒd.rɪˈlæt.ər.əl.i/

in a way that involves four sides or parties (rare)

The shape expanded quadrilaterally for better stability.

Quasi-judicially

/ˌkweɪ.saɪ.dʒuːˈdɪʃ.əl.i/

in a way that resembles a judicial process but is not legally binding

The committee acted quasi-judicially in reviewing the complaint.

Queerly

/ˈkwɪr.li/

in a way that seems strange or unusual (use with caution)

He felt he was being watched queerly by the strangers.

Quadruply

/kwɒˈdruː.pli/

in a way that increases by four times

The profits have increased quadruply since last year.

Quinquennially

/ˌkwɪn.kəˈnen.i.ə.li/

once every five years

The board meets quinquennially to revisit the long-term plan.

Quadrennially

/kwɒˈdren.i.ə.li/

once every four years

Elections are held quadrennially in many countries.

Quarterly

/ˈkwɔːr.t̬ɚ.li/

once every three months

We review our finances quarterly to stay on budget.

Quisquously (rare)

/ˈkwɪs.kjuː.əs.li/

in a way that is complicated or difficult to deal with (archaic, rare)

The problem was quisquously complex, defying easy solutions.

Idiom

Definition

Example

Quit cold turkey

to stop a bad habit suddenly and completely, without gradually reducing it

He decided to quit cold turkey on smoking.

Queue jumping

the act of unfairly moving ahead of others in a line instead of waiting for one's turn

Queue jumping is considered rude in many cultures.

Question of time

something that will definitely happen sooner or later

It’s only a question of time before they succeed.

Quake in one’s boots

to be very afraid or nervous

He was quaking in his boots before the final exam.

Queue up

to wait in line for something; to be eager for an opportunity

Many applicants are queuing up to get into that prestigious university.

Quit while you’re ahead

to stop doing something before it becomes risky or unprofitable

You’ve won enough money — maybe you should quit while you’re ahead.

Quick on the uptake

able to understand things very quickly

She’s very quick on the uptake, so one explanation suffices.

Quick as a flash

extremely fast

He responded quick as a flash when the teacher called him.

Quick as a wink

very fast, similar to "quick as a flash"

He finished his homework quick as a wink.

Quick fix

a temporary and often unsatisfactory solution to a problem

This is just a quick fix, not a long-term solution.