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delicate - Meaning and Examples

Meaning of 'delicate' (Webster Dictionary)

1 . Delicate [ a.]
- Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring.
- Pleasing to the senses; refinedly agreeable; hence, adapted to please a nice or cultivated taste; nice; fine; elegant; as, a delicate dish; delicate flavor.
- Slight and shapely; lovely; graceful; as, "a delicate creature."
- Fine or slender; minute; not coarse; -- said of a thread, or the like; as, delicate cotton.
- Slight or smooth; light and yielding; -- said of texture; as, delicate lace or silk.
- Soft and fair; -- said of the skin or a surface; as, a delicate cheek; a delicate complexion.
- Light, or softly tinted; -- said of a color; as, a delicate blue.
- Refined; gentle; scrupulous not to trespass or offend; considerate; -- said of manners, conduct, or feelings; as, delicate behavior; delicate attentions; delicate thoughtfulness.
- Tender; not able to endure hardship; feeble; frail; effeminate; -- said of constitution, health, etc.; as, a delicate child; delicate health.
- Requiring careful handling; not to be rudely or hastily dealt with; nice; critical; as, a delicate subject or question.
- Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.
- Nicely discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite; as, a delicate taste; a delicate ear for music.
- Affected by slight causes; showing slight changes; as, a delicate thermometer.
2 . Delicate [ n.]
- A choice dainty; a delicacy.
- A delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person.

Meaning of 'delicate' (Princeton's WordNet)

1 . delicate [ a]
Meaning (1):
- exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
Example in sentence:
  • a delicate flavor;
  • a delicate violin passage;
  • delicate china;
  • the delicate wing of a butterfly
2 . delicate [ s]
Meaning (2):
- easily hurt
Example in sentence:
  • a baby's delicate skin;
  • soft hands
Meaning (3):
- easily broken or damaged or destroyed
Example in sentence:
  • a frail craft;
  • a kite too delicate to fly safely;
  • fragile old bones;
  • fragile porcelain plates
Meaning (4):
- marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique
Example in sentence:
  • a surgeon's delicate touch
Meaning (5):
- difficult to handle; requiring great tact
Example in sentence:
  • a touchy subject;
  • delicate negotiations with the big powers;
  • hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter
Meaning (6):
- of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely
Example in sentence:
  • almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments
Meaning (7):
- developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety
Example in sentence:
  • the satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense

Nearby Words:

del del credere delaceration delacrymation delactation delaine delamination delapsation delapse delapsed

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