indelicate

[ in-del-i-kit ]
/ ɪnˈdɛl ɪ kɪt /
SEE SYNONYMS FOR indelicate ON THESAURUS.COM

adjective

offensive to a sense of generally accepted propriety, modesty, or decency; improper, unrefined, or coarse: indelicate language.
not delicate; lacking delicacy; rough.

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Origin of indelicate

First recorded in 1735–45; in-3 + delicate

OTHER WORDS FROM indelicate

in·del·i·cate·ly, adverbin·del·i·cate·ness, noun

Words nearby indelicate

indehiscence, indehiscent, indeliberate, indelible, indelicacy, indelicate, in demand, indemnification, indemnify, indemnitee, indemnitor
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020

Words related to indelicate

indecorous, base, brash, callow, coarse, crude, earthy, embarrassing, immodest, improper, indecent, lewd, low, off-color, offensive, outrageous, risqué, rude, suggestive, tasteless

Example sentences from the Web for indelicate

British Dictionary definitions for indelicate

indelicate
/ (ɪnˈdɛlɪkɪt) /

adjective

coarse, crude, or rough
offensive, embarrassing, or tasteless

Derived forms of indelicate

indelicacy or indelicateness, nounindelicately, adverb
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012