delicate (redirected from delicates)

del·i·cate  (dl-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 dlictus, pleasing; akin to dlicia, pleasure; see delicious.]

---

deli·cate·ly adv.

deli·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

Thesaurus

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" fragile, frail 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" soft 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" finespun 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" ticklish, touchy difficult, hard - not easy; requiring great physical or mental effort to accomplish or comprehend or endure; "a difficult task"; "nesting places on the cliffs are difficult of access"; "difficult times"; "why is it so hard for you to keep a secret?"
	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 1. fine, detailed, elegant, exquisite, graceful

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 5. skilled, accurate, precise, deft

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

delicate [ˈdɛlɪkɪt] adj (gen) → delicado (= fragile); frágil

delicate [ˈdɛlɪkɪt] adj → délicat(e)

delicate [ˈdɛlɪkɪt] adj → fein;

(colour, health) → zart;

(approach) → feinfühlig;

(problem) → delikat, heikel

delicate [ˈdɛlɪkɪt] adj → delicato/a

---

delicate

adj delicate [ˈdelikət]

1 requiring special treatment or careful handling delicate china; a delicate situation/problem.fyn, delikaatدَقيقделикатенkřehký; choulostivý, ožehavýsart; vanskelig; ømtåleligempfindlichευπαθής, ευαίσθητοςdelicado, frágilhabras, delikaatneحساس؛ آسیب پذیرhauras, arkaluonteinendélicatשַּׁברִירִיउत्कृष्ट, उत्तम, बढ़ियाnježan, osjetljivkényesmudah pecahveikbyggður, viðkvæmurdelicato細心の扱いを必要とする주의를 요하는, 다루기 힘든trapus, subtilus, keblussmalks; delikāts; trauslshalusbreekbaar, gevoeligsart, fin, ømtålig, svakdelikatnydelicadodelicatхрупкий; деликатныйkrehký; chúlostivýobčutljivdelikatanklen, skör, ömtålig, delikatเปราะบางnazik, hassas精致的，微妙的витончений; делікатнийنازکmỏng manh精致的，微妙的

2 of fine texture etc; dainty a delicate pattern; the delicate skin of a child.delikaat, sag, teerناعِم، رَقيقнеженjemnýdelikat; lækkerzartλεπτός, ευπαθήςdelicadopeen, õrnلطیف؛ دارای ظرافت و حساسیتhienofinעָדִיןसुकुमारmek,finfinomhalusfíngerðurdelicato; raffinato繊細な섬세한, 부드러운, 가냘픈gležnas, dailus, švelnussmalks; glezns; maigshalusfijn, teersøt, sart, delikatdelikatnydelicadofinтонкий; нежныйjemnýnežennežanfin, utsöktละเอียดอ่อนince, narin美好的，嬌嫩的вишуканий; ніжнийنرم و نازکmịn màng美好的，娇嫩的

3 able to do fine, accurate work a delicate instrument.fyn, gevoeligدَقيقделикатенjemnýfintmærkende; nøjagtigtfeinακριβείας, λεπτόςdelicadopeenدقیق؛ حساسherkkädélicatעָדִיןसंवेदनशीलspretanfinomhalus(hár)næmurdelicato精巧な정교한, 예민한jautrussmalks; jutīgssenigevoeligfintfølende, følsomczułydelicadofinчувствительныйlahodný, jemnýfin, natančenprefinjenkänsligอย่างประณีตduyarlı, hassas精巧的чутливий; точнийماہرانہtinh vi精巧的

4 subtle a delicate wine; a delicate shade of blue.subtielلَذيذ، رَهيف، رَقيقслабjemnýraffineret; fin; delikatschmackhaft, zartαπαλόςsuave, delicadoõrn, peenخوشایند؛ ظریفhienodélicatמְעוּדָןसूक्ष्म, बारीकtankoćutanfinomtidak kerashárfínn, fíngerðurdelicato微妙な부드러운, 옅은subtilussmalks; maigslemah lembutzachtraffinert, fin, delikatdelikatniesubtilfinизысканный; тонкийjemnýprefinjenprefinjenutsökt, läckerยุ่งยากaçık, yumuşak美味的витончений; ніжнийدقیقngon; tinh tế美味的

adv ˈdelicately

omsigtig, versigtigبِنُعومَه، بِلَطافَه، بِرِقَّهфинjemně, delikátnětaktfuldtempfindlich, zartλεπτεπίλεπτα, απαλάdelicadamentedelikaatseltبا ظرافت؛ با دلپذیریhienosti, herkästidélicatementבְּעָדינוּתसुक्ष्मता के साथnježno,osjetljivofinomandengan halusfínlega; næmlegadelicatamente繊細に신중하게, 섬세하게, 부드럽게subtiliai, švelniaismalki; delikāti; maigidengan haluszacht, gevoeligfintfølende, raffinertdelikatnie, czuledelicadamentedelicat, cu delicateţeделикатноdelikátnenežno, rahloprefinjenoutsökt, ömtåligt, delikat, känsligtอย่างละเอียดอ่อนözenle巧妙地витончено; делікатноنزاکت سےtinh vi; sắc sảo巧妙地

n ˈdelicacy

1 the state or quality of being delicate. fynheid, delikaatheid, sagtheidرِقَّه، نُعومَه، لَطافَهделикатностjemnost, delikátnostfinfølelse; sartheddie Zartheitευαισθησία, λεπτότηταdelicadezapeenus, delikaatsusحساسیت؛ ظرافتhienous, herkkyysdélicatesseעָדִינוּתकोमलताosjetljivost, obzirnostfinomságkehalusanfínleiki; viðkvæmnidelicatezza繊細さ주의를 요함, 정교함, 가냘픔subtilumas, švelnumassmalkjūtība; smalkums; trauslumsmakanan istimewagevoeligheid, teerheidsarthet, svak helse, finfølelsedelikatnośćdelicadezadelicateţeделикатность; утончённостьjemnosťfinostprefinjenostfinhet, ömtålighetความละเอียดอ่อนzerafet, incelik精致делікатність; ніжністьنفاستsự mềm mại精致

2 something delicious and special to eat Caviare is a delicacy.lekkerny, snoepery, delikatessesطَعامُ شَهِيُّ أو لَذيذделикатесlahůdkadelikatessedie Delikatesseλιχουδιάmanjar, exquisitezhõrgutisخوشمزگی؛ خوشایندیherkkumets délicatמַעֲדַןस्वादिष्ट भोजनdelikatesacsemegesedap-sedapanlostætisquisitezzaおいしいもの흔치 않은 값비싼 음식, 진미delikatesas, skanėstasgardums; delikatesesangat lazatdelicatessedelikatesseprzysmakguloseimadelicatesăделикатесlahôdkaposlasticadelikatesdelikatessอาหารราคาแพงleziz yiyecek美味делікатес, ласощіعمدہ ، پر تکلف ، مہنگا کھاناcao lương mỹ vị美味