requiring exceptional skill or caution in performance or handling
the delicate challenge of inviting two people who don't like each other to the same party
How is the word delicate different from other adjectives like it?
Some common synonyms of delicate are choice, dainty, elegant, exquisite, and rare. While all these words mean "having qualities that appeal to a cultivated taste," delicate implies exquisiteness, subtlety, and fragility.
delicate craftsmanship
Where would choice be a reasonable alternative to delicate?
The words choice and delicate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, choice stresses preeminence in quality or kind.
choice fabric
In what contexts can dainty take the place of delicate?
While the synonyms dainty and delicate are close in meaning, dainty sometimes carries an additional suggestion of smallness and of appeal to the eye or palate.
dainty sandwiches
When can elegant be used instead of delicate?
Although the words elegant and delicate have much in common, elegant applies to what is rich and luxurious but restrained by good taste.
a sumptuous but elegant dining room
When is it sensible to use exquisite instead of delicate?
The synonyms exquisite and delicate are sometimes interchangeable, but exquisite implies a perfection in workmanship or design that appeals only to very sensitive taste.
an exquisite gold bracelet
When could rare be used to replace delicate?
The meanings of rare and delicate largely overlap; however, rare suggests an uncommon excellence.
rare beauty
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of delicateHeat, stray electromagnetic signals, vibrations, and cosmic rays can disrupt their delicate quantum states, causing errors during calculations.—
Georgina Jedikovska,
Interesting Engineering,
20 Oct. 2026 One of some 70 works by her now on view, that delicate portrait of a young girl with a sparrow shows her mastery in pastel.—
Sarah Belmont,
ARTnews.com,
19 Oct. 2026 Fermented from white wine, white wine vinegar has a lighter, more delicate flavor than red wine vinegar.—
Emily Saladino,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
19 Oct. 2026 Follow the care label and use a front-loading washer or hand-wash delicate quilts.—
Ashley Chalmers,
The Spruce,
19 Oct. 2026 See All Example Sentences for delicate
Every day, the virtuoso violinist plays for an audience of travelers, with his stage in the pedestrian tunnel that links the CTA and parking garages to the terminals.
—
Noel Brennan,
CBS News,
8 Oct. 2026
Through 107 career games, Minten’s profile has leaned more toward dependable cello player than virtuoso first violinist.
The worst of El Niño is still months away, but Southern California’s fragile coastline is already being transformed by record-setting king tides and storm surges.
And so far, things seem to be operating smoothly — something local residents have grown to expect, given the high caliber of local elections officials and the careful oversight of political parties.
The Playoff including home games for the highest seeded teams is a nice touch that many personalities seemed to agree was a positive.
—
Jon Root OutKick,
FOXNews.com,
17 Oct. 2026
The Verdict Sporting a more polished look than its contemporaries, Panasonic’s Japanese microwave is a nice gateway to nudge your kitchen toward more upscale design.
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