delicate

[del-i-kit]

adjective

1. fine in texture, quality, construction, etc..

   a delicate lace collar.

   Antonyms: coarse

2. easily broken or damaged; physically weak; fragile; frail.

   delicate porcelain;

   a delicate child.

   Synonyms: tender, slight, feeble, weak, frangible, flimsy, brittle

3. so fine as to be scarcely perceptible; subtle.

   a delicate flavor.

   Antonyms: strong, robust

4. soft or faint, as color.

   a delicate shade of pink.

5. fine or precise in action or execution; capable of responding to the slightest influence.

   a delicate instrument.

   Synonyms: true, accurate, precise, exact

6. requiring great care, caution, or tact.

   a delicate international situation.

   Synonyms: touchy, sensitive, tricky

7. distinguishing subtle differences: a delicate sense of smell.

   a delicate eye;

   a delicate sense of smell.

   Synonyms: perceptive, discriminating, discerning

8. exquisite or refined in perception or feeling; sensitive.

9. regardful of what is becoming, proper, etc..

   a delicate sense of propriety.

10. mindful of or sensitive to the feelings of others.

    a delicate refusal.

11. dainty or choice, as food.

    delicate tidbits.

12. primly fastidious; squeamish.

    not a movie for the delicate viewer.

13. Obsolete.,  sensuous; voluptuous.

noun

1. Archaic.,  a choice food; delicacy.

2. Obsolete.,  a source of pleasure; luxury.

delicate

/ ˈdɛlɪkɪt /

adjective

1. exquisite, fine, or subtle in quality, character, construction, etc

2. having a soft or fragile beauty

3. (of colour, tone, taste, etc) pleasantly subtle, soft, or faint

4. easily damaged or injured; lacking robustness, esp in health; fragile

5. precise, skilled, or sensitive in action or operation

   a delicate mechanism

6. requiring tact and diplomacy

7. sensitive in feeling or manner; showing regard for the feelings of others

8. excessively refined; squeamish

noun

1. archaic,  a delicacy; dainty

Other Word Forms

• delicately adverb
• delicateness noun
• hyperdelicate adjective
• hyperdelicateness noun
• nondelicate adjective
• nondelicateness noun
• quasi-delicate adjective
• superdelicate adjective
• superdelicateness noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of delicate¹

First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English delicat, from Latin dēlicātus “delightful, dainty”; akin to delicious

Word History and Origins

Origin of delicate¹

C14: from Latin dēlicātus affording pleasure, from dēliciae (pl) delight, pleasure; see _delicious

Synonym Study

Delicate, dainty, exquisite imply beauty such as belongs to rich surroundings or which needs careful treatment. Delicate, used of an object, suggests fragility, small size, and often very fine workmanship: a delicate piece of carving. Dainty, in concrete references, suggests a smallness, gracefulness, and beauty that forbid rough handling: a dainty handkerchief; of persons, it refers to fastidious sensibilities: dainty in eating habits. Exquisite suggests an outstanding beauty and elegance, or a discriminating sensitivity and ability to perceive fine distinctions: an exquisite sense of humor.

Example Sentences

The delicate snowflakes of the right react to that language, which is spoken at home by over 40 million Americans, like it’s the summer sun swiftly melting them into the whiniest vapor imaginable.

Read more on Salon

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell will face a delicate balancing act when he speaks Tuesday before the National Association for Business Economics in Philadelphia.

Read more on Barron's

The cover alone could sit on an altar; black, with the phases of the moon rendered as delicate illustrated wheels and wedges.

Read more on Salon

They need to learn their own delicate calibration of family dynamics – of when to speak and when not to, she says.

Read more on BBC

These tiny algae remove carbon from seawater, release oxygen, and create delicate calcite plates that eventually sink to the ocean floor.

Read more on Science Daily

Related Words

• delicious 
• delightful 
• elegant 
• exquisite 
• fragile 
• gentle 
• graceful 
• mild 
• rare 
• soft 
• subtle 
• tender