Talking About Working In The Office And At Home

What does “quite” mean in British English?

In this podcast, a speaker says, “I also quite like working from home sometimes.” He does not mean he loves it. In British English, quite with a word like “like” or “good” usually means “fairly” or “somewhat,” not “completely.” So “quite good” is good, but not amazing. This is different from American English, where “quite” often does mean “very.”

With most describing words, “quite” sits in the middle: Cambridge’s grammar guide puts it a little above “fairly” and a little below “rather.” But with words that already mean something complete, like “right” or “impossible,” it flips: “you’re quite right” means completely right. Context, and the speaker’s stress, tell you which “quite” you’re hearing.