quieten

Everyday

1. To become quiet or calmer: «The class quietened when the head came in.» tree →
2. To make someone or something quiet or calm: «She quietened the crying baby.» tree →
3. To make worries or fears less strong: «quieten your fears». tree →

In the lessons

In school and everyday life teachers ask a class to quieten down; in stories, quietening shows calm after noise or panic. Phrases: «quieten down», «quieten a crowd», «things quietened».

Examples

• Quieten down, everyone, the film is starting. tree →
• The wind quietened after midnight. tree →
• Dad sang to quieten the baby. tree →
• The streets quietened when the shops closed. tree →
• Taking deep breaths can quieten your worries. tree →
• The crowd quietened as the singer walked on stage. tree →

Note

British and Commonwealth word; American English usually says «quiet down» (quiet as a verb). Spelling: quieten, quietened (no double n). Do not confuse «quiet» (no noise) with «quite» (fairly).