delicate

SayDEL-i-kit/ˈdɛl.ɪ.kɪt/AUS/ˈdel.ɪ.kɪt/UKDEL-i-kuht/ˈdɛl.ɪ.kət/

17 meanings of delicate

1
adjective
Easily broken or hurt, so you need to handle it with care.
Like a soap bubble that pops the moment you touch it.
The delicate glass ornaments need to be wrapped carefully before the move.
Butterfly wings are so delicate that one touch can damage them.
Similarfragile, frail, breakable, sensitive
Oppositesturdy, robust, tough, durable
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2
adjective
Kind and careful not to upset or offend other people.
Like walking softly so you don't wake a sleeping baby.
She was always delicate about other people's feelings.
He gave a delicate answer so no one would feel hurt.
Similartactful, diplomatic, sensitive, discreet, considerate
Oppositetactless, blunt, insensitive
3
adjective
Made of very fine, thin parts or lines.
Like the fine lines of a snowflake.
The spider's web had a delicate pattern of thin threads.
She drew the flower with delicate, thin pencil lines.
Similarfine, intricate, dainty, exquisite
Oppositecoarse, crude
4
adjective
Soft and pleasant to taste, smell, or enjoy.
Like the soft smell of flowers that you only notice when you breathe in slowly.
The soup had a delicate flavor of fresh herbs.
A delicate scent of roses filled the room.
Similarsubtle, refined, exquisite, fine, light
Oppositestrong, overpowering, coarse
5
adjective
Able to notice small differences that most people miss.
Like an expert who can tell two very close colors apart at a glance.
She has a delicate ear and can hear tiny changes in pitch.
His delicate sense of taste picked out every spice in the dish.
Similardiscerning, discriminating, sensitive, refined, perceptive
Oppositecoarse, crude
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6
adjective
Often sick and not strong enough to handle hard conditions.
Like a young plant that wilts in strong sun or wind.
The delicate child caught every cold that went around.
She was too delicate to work long hours in the cold.
Similarfrail, sickly, weak, fragile, infirm
Oppositerobust, healthy, strong, hardy
7
adjective
Reacting to even very small changes or forces.
Like a scale so fine it tips when you add one feather.
The delicate scale moved when she added a single grain.
This delicate instrument reacts to the tiniest shift in temperature.
Similarsensitive, precise, fine
Oppositeinsensitive, crude
Note
8
adjective
Small, pretty, and graceful in form or movement.
Like a young deer that moves lightly and gracefully.
The dancer had a delicate, graceful figure.
A delicate little bird perched on the branch.
Similardainty, fine, graceful, slender, elegant
Oppositecoarse, heavy
Note
9
adjective
Soft, pale, and gently tinted, not strong or bright.
Like the soft pink of the sky just after sunrise.
The walls were painted a delicate shade of pink.
She wore a dress in a delicate blue.
Similarsoft, pale, subtle, muted, light
Oppositebold, vivid, bright, garish
10
adjective
Very fussy and hard to please, with refined tastes and habits.
Like someone who sends back a meal because the plate looks slightly wrong.
She is so delicate about food that nothing on the menu pleased her.
His delicate tastes meant only the very best would do.
Similarfussy, fastidious, finicky, particular, picky
Oppositeundemanding

11
adjective
Made for washing or handling things that break or tear easily.
Like a gentle setting that treats clothes softly so they don't get hurt.
Put the lace tablecloth through the delicate wash.
The dryer has a delicate setting for thin fabrics.
Similargentle
12
nouncountable
A soft, fine piece of clothing, usually underwear, that needs gentle washing.
Like the special soft clothes that need extra care instead of rough washing.
She placed a delicate in a mesh bag before washing it.
All her delicates went into a separate, gentler load.
Note
13
adjectivecolloquial
Feeling unwell, often after drinking too much alcohol.
Like feeling weak and shaky the morning after a big party.
He felt delicate the morning after the party.
I'm a bit delicate today, so please keep the noise down.
Similarfragile, queasy, unwell, rough, hungover
Note
14
nouncountable
A pale, straw-colored moth of the species Mythimna vitellina.
A delicate landed on the lit window screen at dusk.
The collector pinned a delicate beside the other moths in the case.
15
adjectiveobsolete
Loving pleasure and luxury, and living a soft, easy life.
This [Haarlem] is a very delicate towne, and hath one of the fairest Churches, of the Gotiq design, I had seene.
1641, John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 19 August 1641]”Here, delicate means pleasant and charming, a place of pleasure and comfort.
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16
nounobsolete
A special, tasty food treated as a treat or luxury.
Like a fancy dessert you only get on special days.
The table was spread with every delicate the cook could prepare.
With Abstinence all Delicates he Sees, / And can regale himself with Toast and Cheese.
1712, William King, The Art of CookeryHere, Delicates means fine, fancy foods.
Note
17
nounobsolete
A person who loves luxury and soft, easy living.
Like someone who only wants comfort and never wants to work hard.
The delicate at court could not bear a single hard day's work.
If Lucullus were not a waster and a delicate given to belly-cheare.
1603, Plutarch, The PhilosophieHere, delicate means a person who loves luxury and pleasure.
Note

Practice

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Origin

It comes from Latin "delicatus," meaning delightful, soft, or luxurious. This goes back to "delicia" (pleasure, delight), from a word meaning to lure or entice.