have a quiet word

verb

To speak to someone in private.

“When you get a moment I'd like to have a quiet word.”

Similar
have a word in someone's earhave a word in your shell-like
Ask AI about this wordChatGPTClaudePerplexityGoogle AIGrok

Meanings

verbhave a quiet word (third-person singular simple present has a quiet word, present participle having a quiet word, simple past and past participle had a quiet word)

present singular third person has a quiet word · participle present having a quiet word · participle past had a quiet word · past had a quiet word

  1. idiomaticinformalTo speak to someone in private.

    When you get a moment I'd like to have a quiet word.

    Synonyms: have a word in someone's ear, have a word in your shell-like

Synonyms & antonyms

verbTo speak to someone in private.

Similar
have a word in someone's earhave a word in your shell-like
Also see
have a word in someone's ear
Cite this entry
APA

have a quiet word. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20a%20quiet%20word

MLA

“have a quiet word.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20a%20quiet%20word. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “have a quiet word,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/have%20a%20quiet%20word.

Source: have a quiet word on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.