delicate
Americanadjective
-
fine in texture, quality, construction, etc..
a delicate lace collar.
- Antonyms:
- coarse
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easily broken or damaged; physically weak; fragile; frail.
delicate porcelain;
a delicate child.
-
so fine as to be scarcely perceptible; subtle.
a delicate flavor.
-
soft or faint, as color.
a delicate shade of pink.
-
fine or precise in action or execution; capable of responding to the slightest influence.
a delicate instrument.
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requiring great care, caution, or tact.
a delicate international situation.
-
distinguishing subtle differences: a delicate sense of smell.
a delicate eye;
a delicate sense of smell.
- Synonyms:
- perceptive, discriminating, discerning
-
exquisite or refined in perception or feeling; sensitive.
-
regardful of what is becoming, proper, etc..
a delicate sense of propriety.
-
mindful of or sensitive to the feelings of others.
a delicate refusal.
-
dainty or choice, as food.
delicate tidbits.
-
primly fastidious; squeamish.
not a movie for the delicate viewer.
-
Obsolete. sensuous; voluptuous.
noun
-
Archaic. a choice food; delicacy.
-
Obsolete. a source of pleasure; luxury.
adjective
-
exquisite, fine, or subtle in quality, character, construction, etc
-
having a soft or fragile beauty
-
(of colour, tone, taste, etc) pleasantly subtle, soft, or faint
-
easily damaged or injured; lacking robustness, esp in health; fragile
-
precise, skilled, or sensitive in action or operation
a delicate mechanism
-
requiring tact and diplomacy
-
sensitive in feeling or manner; showing regard for the feelings of others
-
excessively refined; squeamish
noun
Synonym Usage
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.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of delicate
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English delicat, from Latin dēlicātus “delightful, dainty”; akin to delicious
Explanation
Delicate things, like a flower, a necklace, or someone’s feelings are fragile, easily broken, and often quite beautiful. A delicate situation. A delicate balance. A delicate child. A delicate lace design. A delicate taste. Sometimes the word implies intricate beauty and at other times fragility. Delicate can have negative overtones: A delicate situation is a tricky one. A delicate balance describes an agreement that might turn sour any moment. A delicate child may cry easily. But delicate can also refer to things that are very lovely and hard to reproduce: a delicate lace collar on a dress stands out. A delicate flavor, like pomegranate peach mint sauce, makes salad — or vanilla ice cream — much more delicious.
Vocabulary lists containing delicate
The Diary of Anne Frank
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Maus I: My Father Bleeds History
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Bridge to Terabithia
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In many existing systems, extreme cooling is necessary to prevent a process known as decoherence, in which delicate quantum information is lost.
From Science Daily • May 30, 2026
"This is a government which has been in a very delicate situation for some time now," said Orriols.
From BBC • May 30, 2026
That imminence has now become an unfortunate reality for Fishwife, which announced Wednesday that it is pausing shipments of the delicate fish for the summer.
From Salon • May 28, 2026
Add this to the sensitivity and secrecy with which delicate diplomatic negotiations must proceed, and we have a fog of misleading statements, dramatic but disingenuous social-media posts, and intentionally obfuscatory leaks.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 25, 2026
“Ah. Well then, fear not, Twitch. I shall free you at once. It is a delicate operation. Try to stay calm and still and, well . . . less twitchy.”
From "The Very, Very Far North" by Dan Bar-el
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
