del·i·cate (d l  -kt)adj. 1. Pleasing to the senses, especially in a subtle way: a delicate flavor; a delicate violin passage. 2. Exquisitely fine or dainty: delicate china. 3. Frail in constitution or health. 4. Easily broken or damaged: a kite too delicate to fly. 5. Marked by sensitivity of discrimination: a critic's delicate perception. 6. a. Considerate of the feelings of others. b. Concerned with propriety. c. Squeamish or fastidious. 7. Requiring tactful treatment: a delicate situation. 8. Fine or soft in touch or skill: a surgeon's delicate touch. 9. Measuring, indicating, or responding to very small changes; precise: a delicate set of scales. 10. Very subtle in difference or distinction. [Middle English delicat and French délicat, both from Latin d  lic tus, pleasing; akin to dlicia, pleasure; see delicious.]del i·cate·ly adv.del i·cate·ness n.Synonyms: delicate, choice, dainty, elegant, exquisite, fine1 These adjectives mean appealing to refined taste: a delicate flavor; choice exotic flowers; a dainty dish; elegant handwriting; an exquisite wine; the finest embroidery. See Also Synonyms at fragile. |
delicate
Adjective
1. fine or subtle in quality or workmanship
2. having a fragile beauty
3. (of colour, smell, or taste) pleasantly subtle
4. easily damaged; fragile
5. precise or sensitive in action: the delicate digestive system
6. requiring tact: a delicate matter
7. showing consideration for the feelings of other people [Latin delicatus affording pleasure]
delicately adv
ThesaurusLegend: Synonyms Related Words Antonyms
| Adj. | 1. | delicate - exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury; "a delicate violin passage"; "delicate china"; "a delicate flavor"; "the delicate wing of a butterfly" breakable - capable of being broken or damaged; "earthenware pottery is breakable"; "breakable articles should be packed carefully" frail - physically weak; "an invalid's frail body" weak - wanting in physical strength; "a weak pillar" rugged - sturdy and strong in constitution or construction; enduring; "with a house full of boys you have to have rugged furniture" |
| 2. | delicate - marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique; "a surgeon's delicate touch" skilled - having or showing or requiring special skill; "only the most skilled gymnasts make an Olympic team"; "a skilled surgeon has many years of training and experience"; "a skilled reconstruction of her damaged elbow"; "a skilled trade" | |
| 3. | delicate - easily broken or damaged or destroyed; "a kite too delicate to fly safely"; "fragile porcelain plates"; "fragile old bones"; "a frail craft" breakable - capable of being broken or damaged; "earthenware pottery is breakable"; "breakable articles should be packed carefully" | |
| 4. | delicate - easily hurt; "soft hands"; "a baby's delicate skin" untoughened, tender - physically untoughened; "tender feet" | |
| 5. | delicate - developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety; "the satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense" refined - (used of persons and their behavior) cultivated and genteel; "she was delicate and refined and unused to hardship"; "refined people with refined taste" | |
| 6. | delicate - difficult to handle; requiring great tact; "delicate negotiations with the big powers";"hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter"; "a touchy subject" | |
| 7. | delicate - of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely; "almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments" sensitive - responsive to physical stimuli; "a mimosa's leaves are sensitive to touch"; "a sensitive voltmeter"; "sensitive skin"; "sensitive to light" |
delicate
adjective 2. subtle, fine, nice, soft, delicious, faint, refined, muted, subdued, pastel, understated, dainty << OPPOSITE bright
adjective 3. fragile, weak, frail, brittle, tender, flimsy, dainty, breakable, frangible << OPPOSITE strong
adjective 4. difficult, critical, sensitive, complicated, sticky (informal) problematic, precarious, thorny, touchy, knotty, ticklish
adjective 6. fastidious, nice, critical, pure, Victorian, proper, refined, discriminating, stuffy, scrupulous, prim, puritanical, squeamish, prudish, prissy (informal) strait-laced, schoolmarmish Brit. (informal) old-maidish (informal) << OPPOSITE crude
adjective 7. diplomatic, sensitive, careful, subtle, thoughtful, discreet, prudent, considerate, judicious, tactful << OPPOSITE insensitive
Translations
adj delicate [ˈdelikət]
1 requiring special treatment or careful handling delicate china; a delicate situation/problem. fyn, delikaat دَقيق деликатен křehký; choulostivý, ožehavý sart; vanskelig; ømtålelig empfindlich ευπαθής, ευαίσθητος delicado, frágil habras, delikaatne حساس؛ آسیب پذیر hauras, arkaluonteinen délicat שַּׁברִירִי उत्कृष्ट, उत्तम, बढ़िया nježan, osjetljiv kényes mudah pecah veikbyggður, viðkvæmur delicato 細心の扱いを必要とする 주의를 요하는, 다루기 힘든 trapus, subtilus, keblus smalks; delikāts; trausls halus breekbaar, gevoelig sart, fin, ømtålig, svak delikatny delicado delicat хрупкий; деликатный krehký; chúlostivý občutljiv delikatan klen, skör, ömtålig, delikat เปราะบาง nazik, hassas 精致的，微妙的 витончений; делікатний نازک mỏng manh 精致的，微妙的
2 of fine texture etc; dainty a delicate pattern; the delicate skin of a child. delikaat, sag, teer ناعِم، رَقيق нежен jemný delikat; lækker zart λεπτός, ευπαθής delicado peen, õrn لطیف؛ دارای ظرافت و حساسیت hieno fin עָדִין सुकुमार mek,fin finom halus fíngerður delicato; raffinato 繊細な 섬세한, 부드러운, 가냘픈 gležnas, dailus, švelnus smalks; glezns; maigs halus fijn, teer søt, sart, delikat delikatny delicado fin тонкий; нежный jemný nežen nežan fin, utsökt ละเอียดอ่อน ince, narin 美好的，嬌嫩的 вишуканий; ніжний نرم و نازک mịn màng 美好的，娇嫩的
3 able to do fine, accurate work a delicate instrument. fyn, gevoelig دَقيق деликатен jemný fintmærkende; nøjagtigt fein ακριβείας, λεπτός delicado peen دقیق؛ حساس herkkä délicat עָדִין संवेदनशील spretan finom halus (hár)næmur delicato 精巧な 정교한, 예민한 jautrus smalks; jutīgs seni gevoelig fintfølende, følsom czuły delicado fin чувствительный lahodný, jemný fin, natančen prefinjen känslig อย่างประณีต duyarlı, hassas 精巧的 чутливий; точний ماہرانہ tinh vi 精巧的
4 subtle a delicate wine; a delicate shade of blue. subtiel لَذيذ، رَهيف، رَقيق слаб jemný raffineret; fin; delikat schmackhaft, zart απαλός suave, delicado õrn, peen خوشایند؛ ظریف hieno délicat מְעוּדָן सूक्ष्म, बारीक tankoćutan finom tidak keras hárfínn, fíngerður delicato 微妙な 부드러운, 옅은 subtilus smalks; maigs lemah lembut zacht raffinert, fin, delikat delikatnie subtil fin изысканный; тонкий jemný prefinjen prefinjen utsökt, läcker ยุ่งยาก açık, yumuşak 美味的 витончений; ніжний دقیق ngon; tinh tế 美味的
adv delicately
omsigtig, versigtig بِنُعومَه، بِلَطافَه، بِرِقَّه фин jemně, delikátně taktfuldt empfindlich, zart λεπτεπίλεπτα, απαλά delicadamente delikaatselt با ظرافت؛ با دلپذیری hienosti, herkästi délicatement בְּעָדינוּת सुक्ष्मता के साथ nježno,osjetljivo finoman dengan halus fínlega; næmlega delicatamente 繊細に 신중하게, 섬세하게, 부드럽게 subtiliai, švelniai smalki; delikāti; maigi dengan halus zacht, gevoelig fintfølende, raffinert delikatnie, czule delicadamente delicat, cu delicateţe деликатно delikátne nežno, rahlo prefinjeno utsökt, ömtåligt, delikat, känsligt อย่างละเอียดอ่อน özenle 巧妙地 витончено; делікатно نزاکت سے tinh vi; sắc sảo 巧妙地
n delicacy
1 the state or quality of being delicate. fynheid, delikaatheid, sagtheid رِقَّه، نُعومَه، لَطافَه деликатност jemnost, delikátnost finfølelse; sarthed die Zartheit ευαισθησία, λεπτότητα delicadeza peenus, delikaatsus حساسیت؛ ظرافت hienous, herkkyys délicatesse עָדִינוּת कोमलता osjetljivost, obzirnost finomság kehalusan fínleiki; viðkvæmni delicatezza 繊細さ 주의를 요함, 정교함, 가냘픔 subtilumas, švelnumas smalkjūtība; smalkums; trauslums makanan istimewa gevoeligheid, teerheid sarthet, svak helse, finfølelse delikatność delicadeza delicateţe деликатность; утончённость jemnosť finost prefinjenost finhet, ömtålighet ความละเอียดอ่อน zerafet, incelik 精致 делікатність; ніжність نفاست sự mềm mại 精致
2 something delicious and special to eat Caviare is a delicacy. lekkerny, snoepery, delikatesses طَعامُ شَهِيُّ أو لَذيذ деликатес lahůdka delikatesse die Delikatesse λιχουδιά manjar, exquisitez hõrgutis خوشمزگی؛ خوشایندی herkku mets délicat מַעֲדַן स्वादिष्ट भोजन delikatesa csemege sedap-sedapan lostæti squisitezza おいしいもの 흔치 않은 값비싼 음식, 진미 delikatesas, skanėstas gardums; delikatese sangat lazat delicatesse delikatesse przysmak guloseima delicatesă деликатес lahôdka poslastica delikates delikatess อาหารราคาแพง leziz yiyecek 美味 делікатес, ласощі عمدہ ، پر تکلف ، مہنگا کھانا cao lương mỹ vị 美味
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