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quaint village

quaint village

1 3.9
A small town with old, attractive houses and narrow streets
  • noun
  • /kwɛɪnt ˈvɪlɪdʒ/
translation icon : pueblo pintoresco
  • Busch Gardens is a re-creation of 17th-century Europe, complete with richly themed quaint villages, costumed street characters, foods of different lands, and a variety of entertainment and rides.
  • cobblestoned street

Examples

  • I found lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel living in the quaint village of Berwick-Upon-Tweed.

  • They stopped in the quaint village of Broadway and strolled its main shopping street.

    Fiction book (1990)
  • We'll spend the late afternoon shopping in this quaint village, enjoy a group welcome dinner at a local restaurant, and then stay overnight in an 18th-century-inspired villa.

    Blog text (5)
  • "It is a re-creation of 17th century Europe, complete with richly themed quaint villages, costumed street characters, and delicious international foods.

    Academic text (1995)
  • Located on a series of islands at the most westerly point of Canada, Haida Gwaii is made up of quaint villages, secluded inlets, and white-sand beaches that stretch as far as the eye can see.

    Blog text (28)
  • While on holiday, we visited the quaint village of St. Ives, known for its cobblestone streets and charming cottages.

  • The quaint village of Carlsbad features colorful flower gardens and a historic town square that attracts many visitors.

  • As we explored the quaint village nestled in the hills, we admired the unique architecture of the old stone buildings.

Synonyms

village
vsquaint village
1.0

A small group of houses in the countryside where people live and form a community

is smaller and especially noted for a charming old fashioned appearance
small town
vsquaint village
245 1.5

A community with few people and few shops

is smaller and valued for its charming old fashioned character

Antonyms

182 1.3

Not interesting or lively

How Charming

quaint village
1 3.9
village
1.0

Surface Forms

Morphology

quaint + village

The meaning is fully compositional: 'quaint' (charmingly old-fashioned) straightforwardly modifies 'village' to yield a small, attractively old-fashioned settlement. A B1 learner who knows both words will readily derive this sense, and the modifier+noun pattern is common across languages, supporting immediate transparency.

Etymology

Quaint village brings to mind a tiny village with old, pretty houses, cobbled streets and flower boxes. The word quaint shows the place's old-fashioned, slightly unusual charm, so the phrase means 'a small village that is charmingly old-fashioned or unusually pretty'.