98 Nouns That Start with Q [with Definitions and Examples]

The utilization of nouns to identify objects in our lives is endless, especially of nouns that start with Q. There are hundreds of nouns starting with Q that you might be completely unaware of, and this article is a great place to start if you want to read about them. For your convenience, a list of nouns that start with Q is given in this article.

Q, or q, is the seventeenth letter of the modern English alphabet and the ISO basic Latin alphabet. Its name in English is cue, plural cues. One out of every 510 letters in English words is a Q, making it the least common letter in the English alphabet, according to an Oxford English Dictionary analysis.

Nouns beginning with Q are not that common, hence learning some of them will help you in both written and oral communications. This article will also list of nouns that start with Q to describe a person, place and abstract concepts. Now let’s go through the categories of nouns that start with Q one by one, which have been provided in this article.

Nouns That Start with Q You Always Use

Words for all sorts of things including imaginary things and abstract concepts are nouns. If we didn’t have nouns, we couldn’t talk about anything in particular. Following are some of the nouns that start with Q that we use regularly in our lives.

1. Question

• Definition: a sentence or phrase used to find out information
• Synonyms: query, inquiry, inquest
• Example: Why won’t you answer my question?

2. Quantity

• Definition: the amount or number of something
• Synonyms: sum, bulk, extent
• Example: We consumed vast quantities of food and drink that night.

3. Quarrel

• Definition: a heated argument or disagreement, typically about a trivial issue and between people who are usually on good term
• Synonyms: argument, combat, dispute
• Example: She made the mistake of picking a quarrel with John.

4. Quote

• Definition: a quotation from a text or speech
• Synonyms: extract, citation, excerpt
• Example: Support your answer with a quote from the text.

5. Quarter

• Definition: one of four equal or almost equal parts of something
• Synonyms: fourth, quad, quadrant
• Example: He cut the orange into quarters.

6. Queue

• Definition: a line or sequence of people or vehicles awaiting their turn to be attended to or to proceed
• Synonyms: line, order, succession
• Example: Are you in the queue for tickets?

7. Quota

• Definition: a fixed, limited amount or number that is officially allowed
• Synonyms: allotment, apportionment, proportion
• Example: The country now has a quota on immigration.

8. Query

• Definition: a question, especially one expressing doubt or requesting information
• Synonyms: challenge, examination, inquiry
• Example: If you have any queries, please telephone our office.

9. Quiz

• Definition: a short, informal test
• Synonyms: exam, examination, test
• Example: There was a pop quiz in history at school today.

10. Questionnaire

• Definition: a set of printed or written questions with a choice of answers, devised for the purposes of a survey or statistical study
• Synonyms: survey, poll, canvas
• Example: Visitors to the country have been asked to fill in a detailed questionnaire.

Nouns That Start with Q You Usually Use

A complete English sentence at least needs a subject, and somewhere down in there you’ll find a noun as well because it is a necessity for the complete expression of thoughts. Following are some of the nouns starting with Q that we usually use in our writings and conversations.

1. Quadriceps

• Definition: a large muscle in the front of the thigh that is divided into four parts
• Synonyms: muscle, tendon
• Example: He is recovering from surgery on his quadriceps in his left leg.

2. Quietness

• Definition: absence of noise or bustle; calm
• Synonyms: hush, quiet, silence
• Example: I enjoyed the quietness of the early morning.

3. Quotation

• Definition: words or phrases taken from someone else’s writing
• Synonyms: citation, excerpt, passage
• Example: He finished his speech with a quotation from Shakespeare.

4. Quake

• Definition: an earthquake
• Synonyms: aftershock, jitter, quiver, earthquake
• Example: The quake destroyed mud buildings in many remote villages.

5. Qualifier

• Definition: a team or person who has won part of a competition and is therefore competing in the next part of it
• Synonyms: participant, expectant, hopeful
• Example: The qualifiers from the first round will advance to the quarter final.

6. Quitter

• Definition: a person who gives up easily or does not have the courage or determination to finish a task
• Synonyms: chicken, coward, deserter
• Example: He’s no quitter.

7. Quarantine

• Definition: a general period of time in which people are not allowed to leave their homes or travel freely, so that they do not catch or spread a disease
• Synonyms: confinement, restriction, isolation
• Example: I’ve been doing a lot of baking during quarantine.

8. Qualification

• Definition: an ability, characteristic, or experience that makes you suitable for a particular job or activity
• Synonyms: capability, competence, skill
• Example: One of the qualifications you need to work here is a sense of humor!

9. Quid

• Definition: one pound sterling
• Synonyms: pound, money, dollar
• Example: She earns at least 600 quid a week.

10. Quest

• Definition: a long or arduous search for something
• Synonyms: search, hunt, pursuit
• Example: The quest for a reliable vaccine has intensified.

Nouns That Start with Q You Often Use

If we didn’t have nouns we wouldn’t have been able to express our feelings. Hence there is a separate category of nouns for such abstract concepts. Following is a list of nouns starting with Q that we often use in our daily lives.

1. Quintuplets

• Definition: any of five children born at the same time to the same mother
• Synonyms: five, quintet, fivesome
• Example: She is expecting quintuplets.

2. Quadrangle

• Definition: a flat shape with four straight sides
• Synonyms: quadrilateral, quad, parallelogram
• Example: Squares and rectangles are forms of quadrangles.

3. Quartermaster

• Definition: an officer charged with providing quarters, clothing, fuel, transportation, etc., for a body of troops
• Synonyms: commissioned-officer, commissariat, supplier
• Example: The quartermaster was a very strict man.

4. Quintet

• Definition: a group of five people playing music, or singing together
• Synonyms: band, troupe, fivesome
• Example: A jazz quintet played hypnotic Chicago blues.

5. Quotient

• Definition: a particular degree or amount of something
• Synonyms: division, outcome, computation
• Example: The Island has a high quotient of clergymen.

6. Quartz

• Definition: a hard, transparent mineral substance, used in making electronic equipment and accurate watches and clocks
• Synonyms: stone, amethyst, gem
• Example: There is a great deal quartz in those mountains.

7. Quarterback

• Definition: an offensive back in football who usually lines up behind the center, calls the signals, and directs the offensive play of the team
• Synonyms: commander, captain, director
• Example: Tom Brady is one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time.

8. Quad

• Definition: a square space outside with buildings on all four sides, especially in a school or college
• Synonyms: quadrangle, courtyard, enclosure
• Example: The assembly was held in the quad.

9. Quadruped

• Definition: an animal which has four feet, especially an ungulate mammal
• Synonyms: quadrupedal, four-footed
• Example: Horses, lions and dogs are quadrupeds, but humans are bipeds

10. Quiver

• Definition: a slight trembling movement or sound, especially one caused by a sudden strong emotion
• Synonyms: flutter, jerk, shudder
• Example: She couldn’t help the quiver in her voice.

Nouns That Start with Q You Sometimes Use

Although there are some nouns that exist in our knowledge, they are not used by us too often. Below is a list of such nouns beginning with Q.

1. Quilt

• Definition: a decorative cover for a bed
• Synonyms: bedspread, comforter, duvet
• Example: He picked apart an old quilt.

2. Quirk

• Definition: a peculiar aspect of a person’s character or behavior
• Synonyms: aberration, eccentricity, idiosyncrasy
• Example: They accepted her attitude as one of her little quirks.

3. Quadrant

• Definition: a quarter of an area
• Synonyms: quad, quarter, segment
• Example: The River runs through the southwest quadrant of the city.

4. Quaker

• Definition: a member of the Religious Society of Friends, a Christian movement founded by George Fox
• Synonyms: acolyte, Christian, amish
• Example: The Quakers have set up a prayer meeting in his house.

5. Queerness

• Definition: a strange attitude or habit; oddity
• Synonyms: oddness, quirkiness, peculiarity
• Example: I credit his queerness to his solitude.

6. Quart

• Definition: a unit of measure for 1/4 gallon of liquids
• Synonyms: cup, gallon, gill
• Example: There is a quart of milk left in the pail.

7. Qualm

• Definition: an uneasy feeling of doubt, worry, or fear, especially about one’s own conduct
• Synonyms: anxiety, apprehension, uneasiness
• Example: Military regimes generally have no qualms about controlling the press.

8. Quinsy

• Definition: inflammation of the throat, especially an abscess in the region of the tonsils
• Synonyms: cough, rasp, hack
• Example: Because of quinsy, he didn’t come out of home much.

9. Quandary

• Definition: a state of perplexity or uncertainty over what to do in a difficult situation
• Synonyms: plight, dilemma, predicament
• Example: Kate was in a quandary.

10. Quarterfinal

• Definition: one of the rounds of matches preceding the semifinals
• Synonyms: game, tournament, matchup
• Example: Pakistan qualified for the quarterfinal after beating Australia.

Nouns That Start with Q You Occasionally Use

Some nouns require a proper occasion or a context to get used or uttered. Following are some of the noun words that start with Q that we only use occasionally.

1. Quibbler

• Definition: a disputant who quibbles; someone who raises annoying petty objections
• Synonyms: caviler, pettifogger
• Example: Anthony was a quibbler by nature.

2. Quatrain

• Definition: a stanza of four lines, especially one having alternate rhymes.
• Synonyms: stanza, composition
• Example: A sonnet contains three quatrains and a couplet.

3. Quinine

• Definition: a drug used to treat fevers such as malaria
• Synonyms: medicine, tablet, drug,
• Example: Feverish patients were dosed with quinine.

4. Quack

• Definition: a person who dishonestly pretends to have medical skills
• Synonyms: charlatan, cheat, fraud
• Example: She discovered that the man was a quack.

5. Quran

• Definition: the central religious text of Islam, which Muslims believe to be a revelation from God
• Synonyms: scripture, Koran
• Example: Islamic orthodoxy insist that the Quran is the uncreated speech or word of Allah.

6. Quail

• Definition: a small, brown bird that is shot for sport or food, or the meat of this bird
• Synonyms: bird, fowl
• Example: Large numbers of quails were shot this morning.

7. Quagmire

• Definition: an awkward, complex, or hazardous situation
• Synonyms: muddle, mess, predicament
• Example: The country has sunk deeper into a quagmire of violence and lawlessness.

8. Quibble

• Definition: a slight objection or criticism about a trivial matter
• Synonyms: objection, complaint, evasion
• Example: The only quibble about this book is the price.

9. Quorum

• Definition: the number of members who must be present at a meeting in order for decisions to be officially made
• Synonyms: attendance, presence, majority
• Example: If a quorum is not present, the meeting must not go ahead.

10. Queasiness

• Definition: the state of being nauseous
• Synonyms: nausea, sickness, disgust
• Example: I have been feeling an unbearable queasiness.

Nouns That Start with Q You Seldom Use

It is a commonly believed view that most of us have a limited amount of nouns at our disposal. The more one reads the more he gets to know about things. Following are some of the nouns that start with the letter Q that people seldom come across.

1. Quark

• Definition: a type of low-fat curd cheese
• Synonyms: cheese, cream, emmental
• Example: There are six distinct flavors of quark.

2. Quacksalver

• Definition: one falsely claiming to possess medical or other skills
• Synonyms: humbug, imposter
• Example: Stop going to that quacksalver if you want to get better.

3. Quay

• Definition: a stone or metal platform lying alongside or projecting into water for loading and unloading ships
• Synonyms: dock, wharf, pier
• Example: The quay at the head of Sydney Cove is 1300 feet long.

4. Quintain

• Definition: an object mounted on a post, used as a target in the medieval sport of tilting
• Synonyms: target, mark, spot
• Example: He kept shooting at the quintain but couldn’t hit it once.

5. Quoit

• Definition: a game in which you throw rings over a small post, often played on ships
• Synonyms: recreation, game, activity
• Example: Monday is the traditional day for quoits between the local teams.

6. Quadcopter

• Definition: an unmanned helicopter having four rotors
• Synonyms: drone, quadrotor
• Example: Quadcopters were also involved in transferring supplies to the survivors.

7. Quarry

• Definition: a person or animal being hunted or looked for
• Synonyms: hunt, pursuit, chase
• Example: The dogs pursued their quarry into an empty warehouse.

8. Qiblah

• Definition: the direction of the Kaaba (the sacred building at Mecca), to which Muslims turn at prayer
• Synonyms: west, Kaaba, westward,
• Example: The buildings discovered include three mosques, with their Qiblah and Mihrab.

9. Quire

• Definition: four sheets of paper folded to make 16 pages
• Synonyms: paper, ledger, sketchpad
• Example: The package contained two quires of tracing paper.

10. Quiche

• Definition: a dish baked in a pastry shell with various ingredients
• Synonyms: pie, pastry, tart
• Example: The quiche can be served hot or cold.

Nouns That Start with Q You Rarely Use

If you are a non-native English speaker then this category of nouns will charm you the most because you might be seeing most of these nouns for the very first time. Following are some of the Q-nouns that we rarely use in our daily lives.

1. Quadrille

• Definition: a dance in which four pairs of dancers dance together
• Synonyms: twirl, spin, dance
• Example: A party of enthusiasts danced a quadrille on a flat rock.

2. Quince

• Definition: a golden, hard, apple-shaped fruit from a small tree
• Synonyms: fruit, pome
• Example: I was served Brazilian Dessert with guava and quince.

3. Quern

• Definition: a simple device for grinding grain between two heavy circular stones
• Synonyms: grinder, mill
• Example: Neolithic peoples used stone querns to grind the hulled grains.

4. Quill

• Definition: a pen made from a bird’s feather, used in the past
• Synonyms: feather, pen, plume
• Example: She dipped a quill in ink, then began to write.

5. Quicksand

• Definition: a deep, semifluid deposit of sand where a heavy object may be engulfed
• Synonyms: quagmire, snare, trap
• Example: The sandbank was uncertain, like quicksand under his feet.

6. Quod

• Definition: prison where convicted criminals go if they’re caught
• Synonyms: jail, cell, dungeon
• Example: The thief got locked up in the quod for his crimes.

7. Quisling

• Definition: a person who collaborates with the enemy
• Synonyms: traitor, defector, deserter
• Example: Labeling someone a quisling proves you don’t like Norwegians?

8. Quinoa

• Definition: the seeds of a South American plant that are cooked and eaten as food
• Synonyms: seed, grain, cereal
• Example: You should be able to find quinoa at most stores.

9. Quixotism

• Definition: quixotic character or practice; form of delusion which leads to extravagant and absurd undertakings or sacrifices
• Synonyms: idealism, fantasy, utopianism
• Example: He went in softly, less impatient than usual with her crazy quixotism.

10. Quicksilver

• Definition: the liquid metal mercury
• Synonyms: mercury, ore, metal
• Example: Small quantities of quicksilver, Sulphur and Iron were mixed together in the lab.

Positive Nouns That Start with Q

Some words do embody certain positive message that we as speakers realize as soon as we see or use them. These are some of the positive nouns that start with Q.

1. Quip

• Definition: a witty remark
• Synonyms: joke, jest, pun
• Example: Peter ate heartily with a quip about being a condemned man.

2. Quietude

• Definition: a state of stillness, calmness, and quiet in a person or place
• Synonyms: calmness, peacefulness
• Example: In many of his poems the poet reflects on the quietude of the countryside.

3. Quality

• Definition: the standard of something as measured against other things of a similar kind; the degree of excellence of something
• Synonyms: standard, class, caliber
• Example: Their products are of very high quality.

4. Quester

• Definition: a person engaged in a quest
• Synonyms: seeker, wanderer, explorer
• Example: The quester was in search of a companion to accompany him towards his destination.

5. Quiddity

• Definition: the inherent nature or essence of someone or something
• Synonyms: crotchet, curiosity, essence
• Example: It’s just part of his quiddities and quirks.

6. Quintessence

• Definition: the most perfect or typical example of a quality or class
• Synonyms: exemplar, prototype, stereotype
• Example: Her book captures the quintessence of Renaissance humanism.

7. Queen

• Definition: the female ruler of an independent state, especially one who inherits the position by right of birth
• Synonyms: ruler, monarch, nobility
• Example: Lady Diana was a queen of the people.

8. Quaff

• Definition: an alcoholic drink
• Synonyms: booze, alcohol
• Example: They spent the evening drinking quaff.

9. Quickness

• Definition: the quality of moving fast or doing something in a short time
• Synonyms: fastness, rapidness, agility
• Example: He is an athlete with outstanding quickness and agility.

10. Quillet

• Definition: a small plot or narrow strip of land
• Synonyms: land, area, plot
• Example: He grew dozens of kilos of cauliflower on the quillet he owned.

Nouns That Start with Q – Full List (98 words)

• Qiblah
• Quack
• Quackery
• Quacksalver
• Quad
• Quadcopter
• Quadrangle
• Quadrant
• Quadric
• Quadriceps
• Quadrille
• Quadruped
• Quaff
• Quagmire
• Quail
• Quaintise
• Quaintisiness
• Quake
• Quaker
• Qualification
• Qualifier
• Quality
• Qualm
• Quandary
• Quantity
• Quantum
• Quarantine
• Quark
• Quarrel
• Quarry
• Quarrymen
• Quart
• Quarter
• Quarterback
• Quarterfinal
• Quartermaster
• Quartet
• Quartz
• Quatrain
• Quaver
• Quay
• Queasiness
• Queen
• Queenhood
• Queerness
• Querist
• Quern
• Query
• Quest
• Quester
• Question
• Questionaire
• Questioner
• Questionnaire
• Quetzal
• Queue
• Quibble
• Quibbler
• Quiche
• Quick
• Quickie
• Quickness
• Quicksand
• Quicksilver
• Quickstep
• Quid
• Quidditch
• Quiddity
• Quiet
• Quietness
• Quietude
• Quill
• Quillet
• Quilt
• Quince
• Quinine
• Quinoa
• Quinsy
• Quintain
• Quintessence
• Quintet
• Quintuplets
• Quip
• Quire
• Quirk
• Quirt
• Quitter
• Quiver
• Quixotism
• Quiz
• Quod
• Quoit
• Quorum
• Quota
• Quotation
• Quote
• Quotient
• Quran

Final Thoughts on Nouns That Start with Q

It’s difficult to write a sentence that does not include at least one noun. Almost every language contains some assigned part of speech, the members of which provide either verbal or written means of identifying people, places, things or ideas. A one-word command like “Stop!” is a sentence made of one verb, but in order to communicate more complex ideas you need nouns as well.

In this article, you would have come across a number of different types of nouns starting with Q. As an exercise, you can add new nouns that start with Q into each of the above given categories which will help you broaden your encyclopedia of nouns. Nouns beginning with Q are not that common, hence it is advised that you go through this article several times and try to memorize as many nouns as possible.

Ps. See also positive words that start with Q, adjectives that start with Q and verbs that start with Q.