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 delicateBut high-level communications are ongoing around-the-clock to salvage the ceasefire, said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity to discuss the delicate behind-the-scenes negotiations.—ABC News,
8 July 2026 In the small scene in the photo above, Lenhart says tough but delicate plants complement warm stone materials.—
Terri Williams,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2026 Its delicate, rotating glass Fresnel lens cast a yellow beam so powerful that it could be seen 20 miles out to sea.—Los Angeles Times,
7 July 2026 From electronics to delicate fabrics, natural stone, and more, there are a variety of surfaces and materials that just don’t jive with this household cleaning staple.—
Patricia Shannon,
Southern Living,
7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for delicate
The autonomous coding tool can send sensitive information to a remote server without a user’s consent, the statement said in Chinese, according to a CNBC translation.
—
Evelyn Cheng,
CNBC,
8 July 2026
The officials spoke on the condition of anonymity because of the sensitive nature of the possible crash.
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.
—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
11 June 2026
A lot of the movie feels like a virtuoso chase sequence, people barreling down the road, guns blazing.
Meanwhile Karl Lagerfeld designed exquisite Weimar Kabaret-ish costumes (these ultimately proved too fragile to attach Madonna's monitoring system to.
—
Hamish Bowles,
Vogue,
5 July 2026
Gas prices ease as economic anxiety lingers Gas prices have dropped sharply in the weeks since the fragile ceasefire between the United States and Iran, surprising analysts who had warned drivers could be in for a summer of soaring fuel costs.
—
David Sivak,
The Washington Examiner,
4 July 2026
When an accident brings the enigmatic Gaia into their lives, unexpected desires begin to take shape, unsettling the careful balance that has long defined their relationship.
—
Melanie Goodfellow,
Deadline,
9 July 2026
Be careful when handling debris that may have blown into your yard.
Quince This matching set feels especially nice on warm nights, thanks to its naturally cooling bamboo viscose material.
—
Jeaneen Russell,
PEOPLE,
6 July 2026
Worth checking out The Nest Fragrances Reed Diffuser will keep your bathroom smelling nice with 21 lush scents, including lemon and mint, apricot tea, ginger and vanilla bean, ocean mist and sea salt, grapefruit and more.
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