indelicate

American  

[in-del-i-kit] / ɪnˈdɛl ɪ kɪt /

adjective

1. offensive to a sense of generally accepted propriety, modesty, or decency; improper, unrefined, or coarse.

   indelicate language.

   Synonyms:

   rude, gauche, untactful, indecorous

2. not delicate; lacking delicacy; rough.

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indelicate British  

/ ɪnˈdɛlɪkɪt /

adjective

1. coarse, crude, or rough

2. offensive, embarrassing, or tasteless

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Other Word Forms

• indelicacy noun
• indelicately adverb
• indelicateness noun

Etymology

Origin of indelicate

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

Example Sentences

In occasionally indelicate detail, “Tusker: Brotherhood of Elephants” studies the reproductive lives of Kenya’s rare “tuskers”—animals whose tusks weigh more than 100 pounds apiece, making them especially attractive to poachers.

From The Wall Street Journal

It’s tantalizingly oddball and indelicate: a combined daymare and night odyssey that scratches until a feral hidden strength is revealed in the misfit main character, captivatingly played by Indian star Radhika Apte.

From Los Angeles Times

From its playfully inventive opening to its flash-forward finale, Thomas Hardiman’s wild — and wildly impressive — first feature, set during a British regional hairdressing competition, is a proudly indelicate, painstakingly structured pleasure.

From New York Times

It’s not the first time a Bank of England official has been criticized for indelicate suggestions on how to hold down inflation.

From New York Times

Forgive his indelicate language; do not forgive those who resent the fact that the Masterman School once was a rake.

From Washington Post