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 delicateThese advanced therapeutics are chemically delicate and easily destroyed by the digestive tract.—
Harvey Stober,
CNBC,
5 Aug. 2026 Soft herbs are more delicate, and they should be stirred in during the final minutes of cooking or sprinkled on just before serving to preserve their fresh taste and vibrant color.—
Carole Kotkin,
Miami Herald,
5 Aug. 2026 The pair shared a kiss while lying on a Gucci towel, and Klum wore her hair wet and accessorized with delicate gold bracelets and rings.—
Juliana Ukiomogbe,
InStyle,
4 Aug. 2026 The wontons are delicate, the noodles springy, the broth clear and deeply familiar.—
Mimi Thorisson,
Travel + Leisure,
4 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for delicate
Unsurprisingly, employees find both subtle and significant ways to reclaim their independence.
—
Kate Wieczorek,
Forbes.com,
1 Aug. 2026
To finish, the server will build a tableside Hong Kong Milk Tea Tiramisu, with milk tea mascarpone Chantilly cream and lady fingers, served with a cup of subtle Hong Kong milk tea.
Companies that work in sensitive, regulated industries like finance are especially keen on open models, Pierre Stock, Mistral’s vice president of science, told CNN.
—
Hadas Gold,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2026
What scammers can steal Once installed, the malware can capture sensitive information entered on the device, including usernames, passwords, banking credentials and email logins.
The visual essay below features virtuoso examples of the techniques that designers have used to replicate the ideals of classical dress over the years, including draping, pleating, twisting, and wrapping.
—
Laird Borrelli-Persson,
Vogue,
16 July 2026
Thanks to more than 200 years of intense and virtuoso scientific work, what were once valid or at least plausible concerns and objections to vaccines have been overcome.
Its interior design matches the vibe, with elegant period-style design complemented by touches of country life—riding boots placed beside a cast-iron fireguard inside, terracotta pots next to Victorian wrought-iron chairs on the outdoor patio.
—
Katie Silcox,
Vogue,
6 Aug. 2026
Follow what feels elegant, interesting, and horizon-widening.
Similar to Spokane, the windiest periods will be during the daytime from Friday through Sunday, with weaker winds each night.
—
Mary Gilbert,
CNN Money,
6 Aug. 2026
The next step came in 2009, when mathematicians Jordan Ellenberg, Akshay Venkatesh and Craig Westerland posted a preprint paper that claimed to prove a weaker version of the conjecture for every prime.
Her parents were able to buy a nice home in the Seattle area for $300,000 and still afford different extracurricular activities for her and her siblings.
—
Natasha Chen,
CNN Money,
3 Aug. 2026
The puffiness that may come with a little late-night partying when the weather is nice is no match for this serum's ability to de-puff eye bags.
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