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 delicateCrafted in leather, the delicate pattern sets the silhouette apart from a traditional strappy sandal.—
Karla Rodriguez,
Footwear News,
26 Aug. 2026 The committee also highlighted the film’s humanism and delicate direction, its dense, multidimensional character relationships, and its meditation on love, desire and original sin.—
Naman Ramachandran,
Variety,
25 Aug. 2026 Last year’s military memos detail a delicate pushback that may preserve at least the framework of the civilian security campaign.—
Megan Rose,
ProPublica,
25 Aug. 2026 Parton’s publicists never asked for questions in advance or said any topics were off limits — because Parton knew how to handle herself, and though petite, was hardly delicate.—
Melinda Newman,
Billboard,
25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for delicate
Greenspan was renowned for his formidable data-crunching capabilities, sharp reading of market psychology, and subtle, often elusive communication style.
—
,
CNBC,
28 Aug. 2026
The cabin interiors are built from a lovely blonde wood, which was aesthetically pleasing, if a little creaky at times, while the white linens on the comfortable queen bed were a subtle reminder that this is a luxury accommodation.
The 2003 recording that appears on 2009’s The Live Anthology box set is eight minutes long, with a virtuoso performance by keyboardist Benmont Tench on the lengthy instrumental bridge.
—
Al Shipley,
SPIN,
7 Aug. 2026
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.
When their ailing mother comes to live with them, old resentments resurface, forcing both women to confront grief, faith, ambition, and the fragile bonds that hold a family together.
—
Zac Ntim,
Deadline,
28 Aug. 2026
The characters aren’t simply vulnerable—they’re contradictory and fragile.
Apply the serum directly to sparse areas of your brows, being careful to avoid letting the product touch other areas of your skin.
—
Iman Balagam,
Vogue,
27 Aug. 2026
According to the researchers, careful process design and optimization as well as architecture simplification could help in solving most of these issues, something that industrial production focuses on much more than academic researchers.
—
Ameya Paleja,
Interesting Engineering,
27 Aug. 2026
Many African economies are in a much weaker economic position compared to the strong 2015-2016 El Niño, the IIF report said, largely due to higher oil prices, which have driven up transport costs, and a strong US dollar.
—
Paige Bruton,
semafor.com,
2 Sep. 2026
Too much nitrogen in the spring creates a weak root system that isn’t able to withstand the heat and drought in summer.
—
Megan Hughes,
Better Homes & Gardens,
2 Sep. 2026
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