From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishquitequite /kwaɪt/ ●●● S1 W1 predeterminer, adverb 1 QUITE/FAIRLY especially American English very, but not extremely → pretty The food in the cafeteria is usually quite good. His hair is quite thin on top now. Amy’s at college, and she’s doing quite well.quite a something He’s quite a good soccer player.GRAMMAR: Word orderYou say quite a before an adjective and a noun: It took quite a long time to answer the questions. ✗Don’t say: It took a quite long time.2 especially British English fairly, or to a small extent, but not very → pretty The film was quite good, but the book was much better. I got a letter from Sylvia quite recently.quite like/enjoy I quite like Chinese food.3 → quite a lot/bit/few4 [+adj/adverb] British EnglishVERY completely I’m sorry. That’s quite impossible. What she’s suggesting is quite ridiculous! I think you’ve had quite enough to drink already! That’s quite a different matter.5 → not quite6 → not quite why/what/where etc7 → quite a something/quite some something8 → quite a/some time9 → quite right10 → that’s quite all right11 → quite/quite so12 → quite something
Examples from the Corpus
quite impossible• And the Presbyterians are quite impossible.• For others, that is quite impossible.• It was purchased because the sound of the river made reaching him by any other means quite impossible.• Very unlikely, though perhaps not quite impossible.• Citrus shrubs are wonderfully fragrant evergreens, but quite impossible outdoors without protection.• Jack tried but it was quite impossible; the button, like the steering wheel, was red hot.• It is quite impossible to believe that he will fade from the scene on formal retirement in a few years' time.• So popular were the proscribed celebrations that it proved quite impossible to eradicate them completely.Origin quite (1300-1400) quit, quite “free of” ((13-19 centuries)), from Old French quite; → QUIT 