Meaning
Usage

a difficult situation

Example: We’d all like to avoid the kind of military quagmire characterized by the Vietnam War.

a perplexed, unresolvable state

Example: Carlos found himself in a quandary: should he choose mint chocolate chip or cookie dough?

whiny, complaining

Example: If deprived of his pacifier, young Brendan becomes querulous.

daily

Example: Ambika’s quotidian routines include drinking two cups of coffee in the morning.

charmingly old-fashioned

Example: Hilda was delighted by the quaint bonnets she saw in Amish country.

to control or diffuse a potentially explosive situation

Example: The skilled leader deftly quelled the rebellion.

idealistic, impractical

Example: Edward entertained a quixotic desire to fall in love at first sight in a laundromat.