# delicate

Pronunciation: say "DEL-i-kit" US /ˈdɛl.ɪ.kɪt/, AUS /ˈdel.ɪ.kɪt/; UK say "DEL-i-kuht" /ˈdɛl.ɪ.kət/

## Adjective

1. Easily damaged or harmed, and requiring careful handling to stay intact.
   - Simple: Easily broken or hurt, so you need to handle it with care.
   - _Restorers handle the delicate manuscripts with gloved hands and soft brushes._
   - _The surgeon worked slowly on the delicate tissue surrounding the nerve._
2. Refined and considerate in manner, careful not to offend or intrude on others' feelings.
   - Simple: Kind and careful not to upset or offend other people.
   - _Her delicate handling of the grieving family showed real tact._
   - _He raised the awkward subject in a delicate, roundabout way._
3. Made up of fine structures or thin lines, often intricate and finely detailed.
   - Simple: Made of very fine, thin parts or lines.
   - _The lace showed a delicate tracery of looping threads._
   - _Frost left a delicate filigree across the windowpane._
4. Pleasing to the senses in a subtle, refined way that appeals to cultivated taste.
   - Simple: Soft and pleasant to taste, smell, or enjoy.
   - _The wine had a delicate bouquet of pear and almond._
   - _Critics praised the dish for its delicate balance of flavors._
5. Highly discriminating and perceptive; able to detect fine distinctions that coarser judgment would overlook.
   - Simple: Able to notice small differences that most people miss.
   - _Her delicate palate distinguished vintages that others found identical._
   - _A delicate critical sense let him spot the flaw in the argument._
6. In weak health, easily falling ill and unable to withstand hardship or strain.
   - Simple: Often sick and not strong enough to handle hard conditions.
   - _Her delicate constitution kept her indoors through the harsh winter._
   - _The doctor warned that the delicate patient could not survive another fever._
7. Responsive to very slight causes, registering small changes that coarser things would not detect.
   - Simple: Reacting to even very small changes or forces.
   - _The delicate barometer registered the faint drop in pressure._
   - _A delicate equilibrium between supply and demand can shift with the smallest news._
8. Slight and shapely in build, possessing a graceful, refined loveliness of form.
   - Simple: Small, pretty, and graceful in form or movement.
   - _Her delicate features gave her face a quiet grace._
   - _The sculptor captured the delicate curve of the figure's neck._
9. Light and softly tinted, having a pale, understated hue rather than a bold one.
   - Simple: Soft, pale, and gently tinted, not strong or bright.
   - _The artist favored delicate pastels over vivid primaries._
   - _Dawn washed the hills in delicate shades of rose and lilac._
10. Having exacting tastes and habits; dainty and fastidious, and hard to satisfy.
   - Simple: Very fussy and hard to please, with refined tastes and habits.
   - _A delicate eater, she pushed aside any dish that wasn't prepared just so._
   - _He proved too delicate for camp life, complaining about every meal and every bed._
11. Designed for use with fragile or easily damaged items, such as fine fabrics.
   - Simple: Made for washing or handling things that break or tear easily.
   - _Select the delicate cycle to protect your silk blouses._
   - _These detergent pods are formulated for delicate loads like lingerie and lace._
13. Feeling unwell or fragile, especially as a result of having drunk too much alcohol. *(colloquial)*
   - Simple: Feeling unwell, often after drinking too much alcohol.
   - _She was looking rather delicate after the wedding reception._
   - _Don't shout. He's feeling delicate after last night._

## Noun

12. An item of fine clothing, especially underwear or lingerie, that requires careful handling.
   - Simple: A soft, fine piece of clothing, usually underwear, that needs gentle washing.
   - _He set aside one delicate to wash separately from the towels._
   - _The dryer's heat had ruined several of her delicates._
14. A migratory noctuid moth, Mythimna vitellina, with pale, straw-colored forewings.
   - Simple: A pale, straw-colored moth of the species Mythimna vitellina.
   - _A delicate fluttered around the porch light during the warm August night._
   - _Several delicates turned up in the moth trap after the southerly winds._

## Adjective

15. Given over to pleasure; luxurious, voluptuous, and alluring. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: Loving pleasure and luxury, and living a soft, easy life.

## Noun

16. A choice morsel; a fine or luxurious item of food. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A special, tasty food treated as a treat or luxury.
   - _The feast offered rare delicates brought from distant lands._
   - _She set aside a delicate for the honored guest._
17. A person given to luxury, softness, or pleasure; one of refined or effeminate habits. *(obsolete)*
   - Simple: A person who loves luxury and soft, easy living.
   - _The delicate lounged among silk cushions while everyone else toiled._
   - _Soldiers mocked the delicates who fled at the first sign of hardship._

## Origin

It comes from Middle English "delicat," from Latin "dēlicātus" (giving pleasure, delightful, soft, luxurious, delicate), from "dēlicia" (pleasure, delight, luxury). That in turn came from "dēliciō" (I allure, entice), built from "dē-" (away) plus "laciō" (I lure, deceive), of ultimately unknown origin. It is related to "delight" and "delicious," and to Spanish "delgado" (thin, skinny).

Source: DictionaryAI, https://dictionaryai.com/define/delicate (written from Wiktionary data, CC BY-SA 4.0: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/).