Quietened

Part of speech: verb

Definitions

1. Made less loud or reduced the noise level gradually
2. Caused a reduction in sound or activity, leading to a calmer state
3. Lowered the volume or intensity of noise or disturbance over time

Etymology: The verb "quieten" is simply "quiet" plus the suffix "-en", which turns an adjective into a verb meaning "to make something quiet." That suffix is an old English tool: "hard" becomes "harden," "short" becomes "shorten," and "quiet" follows the same pattern. The adjective "quiet" came into English through Old French from the Latin "quietus," meaning "at rest," which in turn descends from "quiescere," to rest or become calm. So at the root, a quiet thing is one that has come to rest. "Quietened" is the past tense and past participle of "quieten," so it describes an action already finished, such as a crowd that has been calmed or a noisy engine that has been muffled. Its literal sense of settling into stillness is still visible in how the word is used today.

Synonyms: calmed, soothed, silenced, hushed, pacified

Antonyms: agitated, disturbed, excited, loudened, raucous