delicacy

[del-i-kuh-see]

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR delicacy ON THESAURUS.COM

noun, plural del·i·ca·cies.

fineness of texture, quality, etc.; softness; daintiness: the delicacy of lace.

something delightful or pleasing, especially a choice food considered with regard to its rarity, costliness, or the like: Caviar is a great delicacy.

the quality of being easily broken or damaged; fragility.

the quality of requiring or involving great care or tact: negotiations of great delicacy.

extreme sensitivity; precision of action or operation; minute accuracy: the delicacy of a skillful surgeon's touch; a watch mechanism of unusual delicacy.

fineness of perception or feeling; sensitiveness: the delicacy of the pianist's playing.

fineness of feeling with regard to what is fitting, proper, etc.: Delicacy would not permit her to be rude.

sensitivity with regard to the feelings of others: She criticized him with such delicacy that he was not offended.

bodily weakness; liability to sickness; frailty.

Linguistics. (especially in systemic linguistics) the degree of minuteness pursued at a given stage of analysis in specifying distinctions in linguistic description.

Obsolete. sensuous indulgence; luxury.

Origin of delicacy

First recorded in 1325–75, delicacy is from the Middle English word delicasie. See delicate, -cy

Related formshy·per·del·i·ca·cy, noun

Synonyms for delicacy

SEE MORE SYNONYMS FOR delicacy ON THESAURUS.COM

5. sensitivity, discrimination; prudence, consideration, circumspection.

Antonyms for delicacy

1, 6. coarseness.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Related Words for delicacy

tenderness, subtlety, lightness, elegance, fragility, dessert, feast, luxury, debility, weakness, translucency, infirmity, transparency, frailty, softness, smoothness, airiness, slenderness, tenuity, tidbit

Examples from the Web for delicacy

Contemporary Examples of delicacy

At the time, the island had not yet been named after the delicacy, and went by the decidedly less fantastical Twickenham Ait.
The Isle Where the Rolling Stones Began
Nina Strochlic
September 5, 2014
C, lastly, I just think [Perritaz] has a natural taste for purity, delicacy, and ethereal balance.
Wine, Watch Out! These Ciders Are Just as Good
Jordan Salcito
July 19, 2014
In their scenes, there is delicacy, there is love, and there is hope.
‘Downton Abbey’ Season 3: Julian Fellowes, Hugh Bonneville, Michelle Dockery, and More
Jace Lacob
January 4, 2013
Whether they are official or not, Chick-fil-A restaurants are designed to represent the Southern delicacy.
My Chick-Fil-A Miracle: Dining at Fried-Chicken Chain’s Original Restaurant
Andy Jacobsohn
July 12, 2012
Fetching French actress Audrey Tautou is back in the romantic drama “Delicacy.”
Audrey Tautou on ‘Amélie,’ Her New Film ‘Delicacy,’ & More
Marlow Stern
March 18, 2012

Historical Examples of delicacy

I have a feeling of delicacy about trying to see you again so soon.
K
Mary Roberts Rinehart
It will sound strange that dry bread could possibly be a delicacy to any one.
De Profundis
Oscar Wilde
But this being a delicate affair, Comrade Ossipon behaved with delicacy.
The Secret Agent
Joseph Conrad
I'm an enemy to their delicacy, as I am sure it conduces to their misery.
Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth
Mr. Hervey could not be insensible to her distress or to her delicacy.
Tales And Novels, Volume 3 (of 10)
Maria Edgeworth

British Dictionary definitions for delicacy

delicacy

noun plural -cies

fine or subtle quality, character, construction, etcdelicacy of craftsmanship

fragile, soft, or graceful beauty

something that is considered choice to eat, such as caviar

fragile construction or constitution; frailty

refinement of feeling, manner, or appreciationthe delicacy of the orchestra's playing

fussy or squeamish refinement, esp in matters of taste, propriety, etc

need for tactful or sensitive handling

accuracy or sensitivity of response or operation, as of an instrument

(in systemic grammar) the level of detail at which a linguistic description is made; the degree of fine distinction in a linguistic description

obsolete gratification, luxury, or voluptuousness

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for delicacy

late 14c., "delightfulness; fastidiousness; quality of being addicted to sensuous pleasure," from delicate + -cy. Meaning "fineness, softness, tender loveliness" is from 1580s; that of "weakness of constitution" is from 1630s. Meaning "fine food, a dainty viand" is from early 15c.