delicately
Americanadverb
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in a careful way.
They stepped delicately among the brambles and exposed rocks.
Aggressive removal of the tumor must be delicately balanced with the risk of injury to adjacent normal tissue.
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in a tactful or sensitive way.
Employee issues need to be managed delicately, with empathy and an open perspective.
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in a faint, subtle, quiet, or barely perceptible way.
Dessert was perfection: perfectly moist and delicately flavored ricotta and rhubarb cakes with a big dollop of creamy vanilla mascarpone.
The eye-catching Himalayan honeysuckle has pendant spikes of deep red bracts with white, delicately scented flowers and red-purple berries.
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showing or using precision or refinement.
The region is a famous center for embroidery and appliqué work, painted pottery, and delicately carved wooden doors.
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of delicately
Explanation
A good cake decorator places decorations with great care and gentleness, delicately arranging each element to create a beautiful design. To do something delicately means to do something with care and precision. It comes from the word "delicate," which implies something fine, fragile, or easily damaged. For example, an artist might paint delicate details on a canvas, or a chef might delicately garnish a dish to make it look perfect. This word is often used to describe actions that require a light touch or careful handling to avoid harm or damage.
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.
The faces of lions are delicately piped in three dimensions on the buttons of a piece based on a suit worn by Elizabeth Taylor.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 11, 2026
The eerie ambient music that drives “Obsession” — so artfully serrated and delicately mangled by Burwell — emerged from a counterintuitive creative nuance that AI could never capture.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 21, 2026
Cubes of delicately folded fettuccine, stuffed shells, slabs of lasagna.
From Salon ● Jul. 11, 2026
These delicately drawn, soft, and sometimes colourful, Korean illustrations grabbed the spotlight in the mid-2010s as artists increasingly shared their work on social media.
From BBC ● May 29, 2026
She then pulled out a long blue scarf that she delicately wrapped around her neck.
From "Just Mercy" by Bryan Stevenson
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Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
