: the practice of doing the minimum amount of work required for one's job
Quiet quitting refers to doing the minimum requirements of one's job and putting in no more time, effort, or enthusiasm than absolutely necessary. As such, it is something of a misnomer, since the worker doesn't actually leave their position and continues to collect a salary.—
Greg Daugherty
Greg DaughertyI recently learned about this term called quiet quitting, where you're not outright quitting your job, but you're quitting the idea of going above and beyond. You're still performing your duties, but you're no longer subscribing to the hustle culture mentality that work has to be your life.—Zaid Khan (@zaidleppelin), on TikTok
Zaid Khan (@zaidleppelin), on TikTokFor many employees, quiet quitting is a form of setting boundaries in a professional context.—Megan Prevost
Megan PrevostIn schools—especially those with unionized teachers—quiet quitting may sound a lot like the "work to rule" concept when employees stick to official working rules and hours exactly to the letter.—Elizabeth Heubeck
Elizabeth Heubeckquiet quitting
2 of 2present participle of quiet quit
Examples of quiet quitting in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Maria Aspan, NPR, 7 Feb. 2025
Readers passionately shared their thoughts, frustrations, and personal experiences, sparking a crucial conversation about what quiet quitting really means for employees and organizations.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
The response to my recent article on why soft quitting at work could be more dangerous than quiet quitting has been overwhelming.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
The Connection Between Quiet Quitting And Quiet Hiring While quiet quitting focuses on disengaged employees, the workplace has also seen the rise of quiet hiring—where companies fill talent gaps without publicizing traditional hiring practices.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for quiet quitting 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Noun
Brandon Bell/Getty Images/Getty Images North America Some big companies have been announcing the end of their diversity programs – but many others are quiet quitting.
—Maria Aspan, NPR, 7 Feb. 2025
Readers passionately shared their thoughts, frustrations, and personal experiences, sparking a crucial conversation about what quiet quitting really means for employees and organizations.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
The response to my recent article on why soft quitting at work could be more dangerous than quiet quitting has been overwhelming.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 15 Jan. 2025
The Connection Between Quiet Quitting And Quiet Hiring While quiet quitting focuses on disengaged employees, the workplace has also seen the rise of quiet hiring—where companies fill talent gaps without publicizing traditional hiring practices.
—Dr. Diane Hamilton, Forbes, 4 Jan. 2025
See all Example Sentences for quiet quitting
Dictionary Entries Near quiet quitting
Cite this Entry
“Quiet quitting.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/quiet%20quitting. Accessed 21 Feb. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share