# quail

> English word · Verb · IPA /kweɪl/ · frequency rank #24,560

## Definitions
1. To waste away; to fade, to wither.
2. To daunt or frighten (someone).
3. To lose heart or courage; to be daunted or fearful.
4. Of courage, faith, etc.: to slacken, to give way.

## Etymology
From Middle English quaylen, from Middle Dutch queilen, quēlen, from Old Dutch *quelan, from Proto-West Germanic *kwelan, from Proto-Germanic *kwelaną (“to suffer”). Doublet of queal.

## Easily confused with
- **quit** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quit)
- **quiz** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quiz)
- **quid** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quid)
- **quay** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quay)
- **quip** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quip)
- **qual** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-qual)
- **quasi** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quasi)
- **quake** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quake)
- **quilt** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quilt)
- **quill** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quill)
- **quark** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quark)
- **quart** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quart)
- **quell** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quell)
- **quash** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quash)
- **quant** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quant)
- **quaint** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quaint)
- **Quayle** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quail-vs-quayle)
- **qua** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/qua-vs-quail)
- **quad** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quad-vs-quail)
- **quack** (https://plainspell.com/en/vs/quack-vs-quail)

## Common misspellings (6)
`qauil`, `qquail`, `quaill`, `quali`, `quial`, `uqail`

## Source
Compiled from Wiktionary via kaikki.org (CC BY-SA). Data vintage: 2026-05-06.
Canonical page: https://plainspell.com/en/word/quail