dainty

play

noun dain·ty \ ˈdān-tē \

Definition of dainty

plural dainties

1 a :something delicious to the taste

a London dainty—a pyramid of jelly
—Virginia Woolf

b :something choice or pleasing

2 obsolete :fastidiousness

See dainty defined for kids

Examples of dainty in a Sentence

the widow plied her suitor with dainties and endless glasses of sherry

Origin and Etymology of dainty

Middle English deinte high esteem, delight, from Anglo-French deinté, from Latin dignitat-, dignitas dignity, worth

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

dainty Synonyms

Synonyms

bit, cate [archaic], delicacy, delectable, goody (or goodie), kickshaw, tidbit (also titbit), treat, viand

Related Words

morsel; candy, dessert, junket, sweet, sweetmeat

dainty

adjective

Definition of dainty

daintier; daintiest

1 a :tasting good :tasty

dainty morsels

b :attractively prepared and served

dainty sandwiches on silver trays

2 :marked by delicate or diminutive beauty, form, or grace

dainty teacups

took a dainty sip

3 obsolete :chary, reluctant

… let us not be dainty of leave-taking …
—Shakespeare

4 a :marked by fastidious discrimination or finicky taste

b :showing avoidance of anything rough

gentry too dainty to risk blisters on their hands
—G. W. Johnson

—

daintily

play \ˈdān-tə-lē\ adverb

—

daintiness

play \ˈdān-tē-nəs\ noun

See dainty defined for English-language learners

Examples of dainty in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of dainty from the Web

The New York by way of Cameroon singer-songwriter speaks in a gentle, dainty voice when addressing the crowd.

— greg kot, chicagotribune.com, "Pitchfork day 2: Vagabon manufactures curiosity and leaves people wanting more," 15 July 2017
This unchanging aspect makes them a great foil to dainty flowering bulbs and perennials that can grow through the field of green leaves.

— adrian higgins, idahostatesman, "Tired of mulching? The pros have a different idea.," 14 July 2017
Attached to one of the beams is a dainty iron chandelier with curved arms and crystals dangling from them, a soft touch to its cabin-like architecture.

— madeleine winer, The Courier-Journal, "Tuscan lodge in Goshen pairs grandeur with comfort," 13 July 2017
The reality star and glam guru has amassed quite a collection of dainty designs, some revealed on her social media accounts and some spotted by very dedicated fans.

— sarah wu, Teen Vogue, "Kylie Jenner Covered Her Tyga Tattoo," 5 July 2017
Smoque uses spare ribs trimmed St. Louis-style for dainty diners afraid of eating around a little knuckle.

— andy staples, SI.com, "Where to eat, drink in Chicago," 30 June 2017
Canh ga chien nuoc mam, a dainty stack of fried chicken wings coated in caramelized fish sauce, were initially sticky-sweet but gave way to a mouth-tingling heat.

— joseph hernandez, chicagotribune.com, "HaiSous' opening menu shows promise of chef Thai Dang's kitchen," 23 June 2017
Wait five to 10 minutes, then the dainty stuff will have been separated.

— john kelly, Washington Post, "A fairy tale come true: The Dairy Godmother has a new owner," 13 June 2017
Dainty, now president and CEO of TEG Dainty, has presented tours by The Rolling Stones (four times), Eminem (twice), Paul McCartney, Guns N’ Roses, Britney Spears, The Jackson 5, Eminem, Michael Jackson’s solo stadium trek and many more.

— lars brandle, Billboard, "Denis Handlin, Michael Coppel and Paul Dainty Recognized in Queen's Honours List," 12 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'dainty.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of dainty

see ¹dainty

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

dainty Synonyms

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

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

Synonym Discussion of dainty

choice, exquisite, elegant, rare, delicate, dainty mean having qualities that appeal to a cultivated taste. choice stresses preeminence in quality or kind.

- choice fabric

exquisite implies a perfection in workmanship or design that appeals only to very sensitive taste.

- an exquisite gold bracelet

elegant applies to what is rich and luxurious but restrained by good taste.

- a sumptuous but elegant dining room

rare suggests an uncommon excellence.

- rare beauty

delicate implies exquisiteness, subtlety, and fragility.

- delicate craftsmanship

dainty sometimes carries an additional suggestion of smallness and of appeal to the eye or palate.

- dainty sandwiches

DAINTY Defined for English Language Learners

dainty

adjective

Definition of dainty for English Language Learners

: small and pretty
: done with small and careful movements
of food : attractive and served in small amounts

DAINTY Defined for Kids

dainty

play

noun dain·ty \ ˈdān-tē \

Definition of dainty for Students

plural dainties

:a delicious food :delicacy

dainty

adjective

Definition of dainty for Students

daintier; daintiest

1 :tasting good

2 :pretty in a delicate way

dainty flowers

3 :having or showing delicate or finicky taste

He is a dainty eater.

—

daintily

\ˈdān-tə-lē\ adverb

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Origin and Etymology of dainty

dainty Synonyms

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dainty

Definition of dainty

daintily

daintiness

Examples of dainty in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of dainty

dainty Synonyms

Synonyms

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DAINTY Defined for English Language Learners

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