exquisite
Americanadjective
-
of special beauty or charm, or rare and appealing excellence, as a face, a flower, coloring, music, or poetry.
-
extraordinarily fine or admirable; consummate.
exquisite weather.
- Antonyms:
- ordinary
-
intense; acute, or keen, as pleasure or pain.
- Synonyms:
- poignant
- Antonyms:
- dull
-
of rare excellence of production or execution, as works of art or workmanship.
the exquisite statues of the Renaissance.
-
keenly or delicately sensitive or responsive.
an exquisite ear for music; an exquisite sensibility.
-
of particular refinement or elegance, as taste, manners, etc., or persons.
- Synonyms:
- discriminating
-
carefully sought out, chosen, ascertained, devised, etc.
noun
adjective
-
possessing qualities of unusual delicacy and fine craftsmanship
jewels in an exquisite setting
-
extremely beautiful and pleasing
an exquisite face
-
outstanding or excellent
an exquisite victory
-
sensitive; discriminating
exquisite taste
-
fastidious and refined
-
intense or sharp in feeling
exquisite pleasure
exquisite pain
noun
Pronunciation
The pronunciation of exquisite has undergone a rapid change from to , with stress shifting to the second syllable. The newer pronunciation is still criticized by some, but is now more common in both the U.S. and England, and many younger educated speakers are not even aware of the older one. See harass.
Synonym Usage
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of exquisite
First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Latin exquīsītus “meticulous, chosen with care,” originally past participle of exquīrere “to ask about, examine,” equivalent to ex- ex- 1 + -quīrere , combining form of quaerere “to seek”
Explanation
Use exquisite to mean finely or delicately made or done. When you say someone has exquisite taste, you mean that they are able to make fine distinctions. Exquisite describes something that is lovely, beautiful, or excellent. Exquisite pain or agony is very sharp and intense. Exquisite is from Middle English exquisit, from Latin exquisitus, from exquirere "to search out."
Vocabulary lists containing exquisite
Positive Words to Describe a Person
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
The Diary of Anne Frank
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Necklace" by Guy de Maupassant
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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 a Sept. 22 Instagram post, Willis offered an update on her new era, writing, “So grateful and thankful for this beautiful life, my exquisite daughter, our new home, my family.”
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 16, 2026
An exquisite anthology of Cohn’s writing from his early days through the present, “Corner Boy” bristles with the electric, contrarian voice of a working cultural critic.
From Salon ● Oct. 8, 2026
That moment proved to be pivotal as former Newcastle winger Radwan latched on to Freddie Steward's exquisite grubber kick to touch down.
From BBC ● Oct. 3, 2026
“In addition to it sounding exquisite, I’m not gonna lie, it also tore visually and symbolically.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 18, 2026
Looking at it, the most exquisite pain seared across my chest.
From "The Book of Unknown Americans" by Cristina Henríquez
Random Word
Spin the wheel and learn a new word!
Get a wordDefinitions 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.
