dainty

²dainty

adj

dain·ti·erdain·ti·est

Definition of DAINTY

1

a : tasting good : tasty b : attractively prepared and served

2

: marked by delicate or diminutive beauty, form, or grace <dainty teacups>

3

obsolete : chary, reluctant

4

a : marked by fastidious discrimination or finicky taste b : showing avoidance of anything rough

— dain·ti·ly \ˈdān-tə-lē\ adverb

— dain·ti·ness \ˈdān-tē-nəs\ noun

Examples of DAINTY

1. Her hair was decorated with dainty pink flowers.
2. the girl's dainty little hands
3. The dancers' dainty steps were followed by a series of leaps.
4. She took a dainty sip of tea from her teacup.
5. They served dainty sandwiches on silver trays.
6. The food was served in dainty portions.

First Known Use of DAINTY

14th century

Related to DAINTY

Synonyms: choosy (or choosey), finicky, delicate, demanding, exacting, fastidious, finical, finicking, fussbudgety, fussy, nice, old-maidish, particular, pernickety [chiefly British], persnickety, picky

Antonyms: undemanding, unfastidious, unfussy

Related Words: hyperfastidious, overdemanding, ultrafastidious; discerning, discriminating, selective; insightful, knowledgeable; captious, carping, caviling (or cavilling), critical, faultfinding, hypercritical, overcritical; careful, meticulous, painstaking, punctilious, scrupulous; queasy (also queazy), squeamish; peevish, petulant, prickly, touchy; niminy-piminy, prim, prissy

Near Antonyms: affable, breezy, carefree, devil-may-care, happy-go-lucky, lackadaisical, laid-back, low-pressure, relaxed; flexible, lax, loose; lenient, permissive; uncritical; indiscriminating, undiscriminating

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