This list includes 35 Big words that start with Q, from “quackery” to “quotidian”. They are formal, often polysyllabic words with clear etymologies, useful for writing, speeches, and study.
Big words that start with Q are impressive, high-register vocabulary entries you use to add precision or flourish. Many come from Latin, Greek, or Spanish roots—”quixotic” even traces to Cervantes’ Don Quixote as a literary touchstone.
Below you’ll find the table with Word, Etymology, and Definition.
Word: The headword as it appears in lists; you use it to recognize and search for the term in context.
Etymology: Shows language of origin and root parts so you understand historical meaning and the word’s family relationships.
Definition: Gives a concise, one-sentence meaning you can use immediately in writing, speaking, or learning new vocabulary.
Big words that start with Q
| Word | Part of speech | Etymology | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| quarantine | noun | Italian quarantina/quaranta “forty”, 17th c. | Isolation period to prevent disease spread. |
| quaternary | adj. | Latin quaternarius “fourth”, via French, 18th c. | Relating to the number four or fourth in order. |
| quiescent | adj. | Latin quiescere “be quiet”, 17th c. | Inactive or dormant; temporarily still. |
| quiescence | noun | Latin quiescentia, Medieval Latin, 17th c. | State of inactivity or quietness. |
| quietude | noun | Latin quietudo via Old French, 17th c. | Peaceful rest; calmness. |
| quietism | noun | French quietisme, from quiet, 17th c. | Religious doctrine valuing spiritual quiet; passive spirituality. |
| quietus | noun | Latin quietus “rest”, 17th c. | A finishing stroke; liberation from activity or life. |
| quiddity | noun | Latin quidditas “essence”, Medieval Latin, 15th c. | The essential nature or peculiar quality of something. |
| quintessential | adj. | Latin quinta essentia via French, 17th c. | Representing the most perfect example of something. |
| quintessence | noun | Latin quinta essentia, Medieval Latin, 14th c. | Purest or most concentrated form of something. |
| quintuple | adj. | Latin quintus “five”, via Old French, 17th c. | Consisting of five parts; fivefold. |
| quintuplet | noun | French/Latin quintus + -plet, 19th c. | One of five offspring born at once. |
| quintillion | noun | Latin/Old French quint- + -illion, 18th c. | The number 10^18 (short scale) or 10^30 (long scale). |
| quixotic | adj. | From Cervantes’ Don Quixote (Spanish), 19th c. | Idealistic in an impractical, romantic way. |
| quizzical | adj. | From quiz + -ical, 19th c. | Expressing puzzlement or mild amusement. |
| querulous | adj. | Latin querulus “complaining”, via Old French, 15th c. | Given to complaining; petulant. |
| questionable | adj. | Old French/Latin via question, 15th c. | Doubtful or open to question; suspect. |
| questionnaire | noun | French questionnaire, 19th c. | A set of written questions for gathering information. |
| quantitative | adj. | Latin quantitas “quantity”, via French, 17th c. | Relating to measurable amounts or numbers. |
| quantification | noun | Latin quantificare “to make amount”, 19th c. | The act of measuring or expressing as quantity. |
| quantifiable | adj. | Latin quantus “how much”, 19th c. | Able to be measured or counted. |
| quadrilateral | noun | Latin quadrilateralis “four-sided”, via French, 16th c. | A four-sided polygon (or four-sided figure). |
| quadruplicate | verb | Latin quadruplus “fourfold”, 17th c. | To make fourfold; multiply by four. |
| quadrupedal | adj. | Latin quadrupes “four-footed”, 18th c. | Having four feet; four‑footed locomotion. |
| quadruple | adj. | Latin quadruplus “fourfold”, via Old French, 16th c. | Four times as great; fourfold. |
| quadrillion | noun | Latin/French quadr- + -illion, 18th c. | The number 10^15 (short scale) or 10^24 (long scale). |
| quinquennial | adj. | Latin quinquennalis “five-yearly”, 17th c. | Occurring every five years. |
| quinquagenarian | noun | Latin quinquagenarius “fifty years”, 19th c. | A person aged about fifty years. |
| quotidian | adj. | Latin quotidianus “daily”, via Old French, 15th c. | Daily or ordinary; commonplace. |
| quotation | noun | Latin quotatio via Old French, 14th c. | A cited passage or stated price estimate. |
| quackery | noun | From Dutch quacksalver / quack, 17th c. | Fraudulent medical practices; charlatanism. |
| quandary | noun | Origin uncertain; English, 16th c. | A state of perplexity or uncertainty. |
| quodlibet | noun | Latin quodlibet “what pleases”, Medieval Latin, 15th c. | A light musical/academic medley; anything at will. |
| quartermaster | noun | Middle English quarter + master, 16th c. | Naval/army officer in charge of quarters and supplies. |
| qualification | noun | Latin qualificare via Old French, 16th c. | A condition, credential, or limiting statement. |
Descriptions
quarantine
A widely used public-health term; formal/registered. Syllables: 3; Letters: 10. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quaternary
Used in geology (Quaternary period) and classification. Syllables: 4; Letters: 10. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quiescent
Used in medicine, ecology, and figurative senses. Syllables: 3; Letters: 9. (Merriam‑Webster; OED)
quiescence
A technical and literary noun for quiet or dormancy. Syllables: 3; Letters: 10. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quietude
A slightly literary term for inner calm or stillness. Syllables: 3; Letters: 8. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quietism
Also used metaphorically for political/passive attitudes. Syllables: 3; Letters: 8. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quietus
Often literary; can mean discharge or death’s release. Syllables: 3; Letters: 7. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quiddity
Philosophical/literary use meaning “whatness.” Syllables: 3; Letters: 8. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quintessential
Commonly used to denote a archetypal exemplar. Syllables: 4; Letters: 14. (Merriam‑Webster; OED)
quintessence
Used philosophically and in everyday praise. Syllables: 3; Letters: 12. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quintuple
Mathematical and general-purpose adjective/verb. Syllables: 3; Letters: 9. (Merriam‑Webster)
quintuplet
Used in biology and figurative senses. Syllables: 3; Letters: 10. (Merriam‑Webster)
quintillion
Large numeral used in math/finance; scale varies by system. Syllables: 4; Letters: 11. (Merriam‑Webster; OED)
quixotic
Literary adjective meaning impractically chivalrous or unrealistic. Syllables: 3; Letters: 8. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quizzical
Casual to neutral register; common in speech and writing. Syllables: 3; Letters: 9. (Merriam‑Webster)
querulous
Found in formal and descriptive registers. Syllables: 3; Letters: 9. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
questionable
Frequently used in everyday and formal critique. Syllables: 4; Letters: 11. (Merriam‑Webster)
questionnaire
Common in surveys, research, and business contexts. Syllables: 4; Letters: 12. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quantitative
Used in science, finance, and research contrasts with “qualitative.” Syllables: 4; Letters: 12. (Merriam‑Webster)
quantification
Technical term in science and philosophy. Syllables: 5; Letters: 13. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quantifiable
Useful in empirical and analytical contexts. Syllables: 4; Letters: 12. (Merriam‑Webster)
quadrilateral
Common in geometry; also used figuratively. Syllables: 5; Letters: 12. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quadruplicate
Technical/academic register in math or production contexts. Syllables: 4; Letters: 13. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quadrupedal
Used in zoology and biomechanics. Syllables: 4; Letters: 11. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quadruple
Common numeric term in many contexts. Syllables: 3; Letters: 9. (Merriam‑Webster)
quadrillion
Very large number; scale differs by country. Syllables: 4; Letters: 11. (Merriam‑Webster; OED)
quinquennial
Used for anniversaries, events, and planning cycles. Syllables: 4; Letters: 12. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quinquagenarian
Formal, slightly literary demographic term. Syllables: 6; Letters: 15. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quotidian
Literary/formal word for routine or everyday. Syllables: 4; Letters: 9. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quotation
Very common in writing and commerce. Syllables: 3; Letters: 9. (Merriam‑Webster)
quackery
Pejorative term often used in medicine/media. Syllables: 3; Letters: 8. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quandary
Common in spoken and written English. Syllables: 3; Letters: 8. (Merriam‑Webster)
quodlibet
Used in music and rhetoric; slightly scholarly. Syllables: 3; Letters: 9. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
quartermaster
Military term also used in historical contexts. Syllables: 4; Letters: 13. (OED; Merriam‑Webster)
qualification
Frequent in education, employment, and legal contexts. Syllables: 5; Letters: 13. (Merriam‑Webster; OED)