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.
Related Words
Other Word Forms
- exquisitely adverb
- exquisiteness noun
- overexquisite adjective
- superexquisite adjective
- superexquisiteness noun
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”
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.
“There has been support from the DoW to increase production and delivery of exquisite weapons systems, but going forward we expect new-entrants and affordable systems to be prioritized.”
From Barron's
And while he knew that the red-shoed girl would be fine if she left this life, content in the exquisite Afterworld, Clare’s third eye saw—with piercing clarity—that the mother’s soul would not.
From Literature
Her vocal stacks and counter-melodies are full of intricate detail; and her phrasing is exquisite, even on the jazz numbers where lesser pop singers would come unstuck.
From BBC
Yet on balance, the New Museum has achieved something astonishing: It has gracefully and imaginatively added to its original building without compromising its exquisite sculptural quality.
“She’s making the most exquisite pillow casing in the Shu embroidery technique,” he said.
From Literature
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.
