Merriam-Webster Logo
SINCE 1828
Menu
dictionary thesaurus

Thesaurus

delicacy

noun

Synonyms and Antonyms of delicacy

1 something that is pleasing to eat because it is rare or a luxury

  • presented with a plate of national delicacies while they waited for the queen
Synonyms of delicacy

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

morsel

candy, dessert, junket, sweet, sweetmeat

2 the state or quality of having a delicate structure

  • we never cease to marvel at the delicacy of a snowflake
Synonyms of delicacy

daintiness, exquisiteness, fineness, fragility, frangibility
Words Related to delicacy

diaphanousness, flimsiness, insubstantiality, wispiness

brittleness, crumbliness, friability
Near Antonyms of delicacy

firmness, solidity

strength
Antonyms of delicacy

coarseness, crudeness, crudity, roughness, rudeness

3 the tendency to be or state of being squeamish

  • the urgent need for blood prompted many people to overcome their habitual delicacy and become first-time donors
Synonyms of delicacy

qualmishness, queasiness, squeamishness
Words Related to delicacy

daintiness, fastidiousness, finicalness, finickiness, fussiness
Near Antonyms of delicacy

boldness, gutsiness
Antonyms of delicacy

indelicacy

4 the quality or state of being very accurate

  • the delicacy of the watch movement is incredible
Synonyms of delicacy

accuracy, accurateness, closeness, exactitude, exactness, fineness, nicety, perfection, preciseness, precision, rigor, rigorousness, ultraprecision, veracity
Words Related to delicacy

correctness, fidelity, rightness, strictness, truth

definiteness, definitiveness, definitude, determinacy

nicety, subtlety

care, carefulness, fastidiousness, meticulousness, persnicketiness
Near Antonyms of delicacy

approximation, roundness

falseness, falsity, incorrectness, wrongness

carelessness, guesswork, looseness

indefiniteness, vagueness
Antonyms of delicacy

coarseness, impreciseness, imprecision, inaccuracy, inexactitude, inexactness, roughness

5 the quality or state of lacking physical strength or vigor

  • all of her life the shy poet gave the appearance of extreme delicacy
Synonyms of delicacy

asthenia, debilitation, debility, enervation, enfeeblement, faintness, feebleness, fragility, frailness, frailty, infirmity, languidness, languor, listlessness, lowness, weakness, wimpiness
Words Related to delicacy

decay, decrepitude

breakdown, collapse, prostration

exhaustion, fatigue, lassitude, weariness

defenselessness, helplessness, impotence, impuissance, powerlessness

effeteness, softness, tenderness

disablement, incapacitation, invalidism

damage, harm, hurt, impairment, injury
Near Antonyms of delicacy

energy, vitality

brawniness, fitness, heftiness, huskiness, lustiness, muscularity, virility

hardness, ruggedness, stoutness, sturdiness, toughness

health, healthiness, soundness, wellness
Antonyms of delicacy

hardihood, hardiness, robustness, strength, vigor

6 the state or quality of being able to sense slight impressions or differences

  • the delicacy of the sensor is such that it will be affected by the slightest vibration
Synonyms of delicacy

acuity, acuteness, keenness, perceptiveness, perceptivity, sensitiveness, sensitivity, sharpness
Words Related to delicacy

hyperacuity, hypersensitiveness, hypersensitivity, oversensitiveness, oversensitivity, supersensitivity

accuracy, exactitude, exactness, fineness

Learn More about delicacy

  1. Dictionary: Definition of delicacy Spanish Central: Translation of delicacy Nglish: Translation of delicacy for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of delicacy for Arabic speakers

Seen and Heard

What made you want to look up delicacy? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).

show comments hide comments

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

WORD OF THE DAY

susurrous

full of whispering sounds

Get Word of the Day daily email!

TRENDING NOW

  1. gaslight It is a word, though.

  2. invasion CNN reporter questions President.

  3. relevancy Ariana Grande slams ex-fiancé.

SEE ALL

Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play

Ask the Editors

Word Games