delicate en · ADJ
Pronunciation
- /ˈdɛl.ɪ.kət/ (Received-Pronunciation)
- /ˈdel.ɪ.kɪt/ (Australia)
- /ˈdɛl.ɪ.kɪt/ (Canada, General-American)
- (US) audio
- /ˈdɛl.ə.kɪt/ (Canada, General-American)
Etymology
From Middle English delicat, from Latin dēlicātus (“giving pleasure, delightful, soft, luxurious, delicate, (in Medieval Latin also) fine, slender”), from dēlicia + -ātus (see -ate (adjective-forming suffix)), usually in plural dēliciae (“pleasure, delight, luxury”), from dēliciō (“to allure, entice”), from dē- (“away”) + laciō (“to lure, to deceive”), from Proto-Italic *lakjō (“to draw, pull”), of unknown ultimate origin. Compare delight, delicious and Spanish delgado (“thin, skinny”). The noun is from a substantivization of the adjective (see -ate).
Meanings
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Easily damaged or requiring careful handling.
Those clothes are made from delicate lace.
The negotiations were very delicate.
Indeed, the frosty god conspired with it for our delight; building crystal bridges, with tracery of lace delicater than Valenciennes, and spangled string-pieces, and fretted vaultings, whimsical sierras, stalactite and stalagmite.
1903, Julian Hawthorne, chapter II, in Hawthorne and His Circle, New York, N.Y.; London: Harper & Brothers, →OCLC, page 28:The final vote between Hollande and Sarkozy now depends on a delicate balance of how France's total of rightwing and leftwing voters line up.
2012 April 23, Angelique Chrisafis, “François Hollande on top but far right scores record result in French election”, in the Guardian:There are some things too delicate and too sacred to be handled rudely without injury to truth.
1850 April 18, Frederik W. Robertson, An Address Delivered to the Members of the Working Man's Institute, page 5:
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Characterized by a fine structure or thin lines.
You crush a delicate moth wing I see the stain on your fingertips
2021, “Silk in the Strings”, performed by Spiritbox:The spider wove a delicate web.
There was a delicate pattern of frost on the window.
Her face was delicate.
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Intended for use with fragile items.
Set the washing machine to the delicate cycle.
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Refined; gentle; scrupulous not to trespass or offend; considerate; said of manners, conduct, or feelings.
delicate thoughtfulness
Jill had, as you might say quite fallen in love with the Unicorn. She thought—and she wasn’t far wrong—that he was the shiningest, delicatest, most graceful animal she had ever met: and he was so gentle and soft of speech that, if you hadn’t known, you would hardly have believed how fierce and terrible he could be in battle.
1956, C[live] S[taples] Lewis, “What News the Eagle Brought”, in The Last Battle (The Chronicles of Narnia; 7), New York, N.Y.: Macmillan Publishing Co., Inc., →LCCN, →OCLC, pages 82–83:delicate attentions
delicate behaviour
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Of weak health; easily sick; unable to endure hardship.
a delicate child
[E]xamples groſſe as earth exhort me, / Witnes this Army of ſuch maſſe and charge, / Led by a delicate and tender Prince, / Whoſe ſpirit with diuine ambition puft, / Makes mouthes at the inviſible euent, / Expoſing what is mortall, and vnſure, / To all that fortune, death, and danger dare, / Euen for an Egge-ſhell.
c. 1599–1602 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragicall Historie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke: […] (Second Quarto), London: […] I[ames] R[oberts] for N[icholas] L[ing] […], published 1604, →OCLC, [Act IV, scene iv], signature K3, verso:delicate health
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(informal) Unwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol.
Please don't speak so loudly: I'm feeling a bit delicate this morning.
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(obsolete) Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring.
This [Haarlem] is a very delicate towne, and hath one of the fairest Churches, of the Gotiq design, I had seene.
1641 August 28 (Gregorian calendar), John Evelyn, “[Diary entry for 19 August 1641]”, in William Bray, editor, Memoirs, Illustrative of the Life and Writings of John Evelyn, […], 2nd edition, volume I, London: Henry Colburn, […]; and sold by John and Arthur Arch, […], published 1819, →OCLC, page 17:
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Pleasing to the senses; refined; adapted to please an elegant or cultivated taste.
a delicate dish
The Fleſh of man, becauſe its Nouriſhed by purer Blood, is delicater than the fleſh of other Creatures, and prefered before it by Canibals, or Man-Eaters.
1665, Johannes Riolanus, translated by Nich[olas] Culpeper, “The Division of Mans Body”, in A Sure Guide or, The Best and Nearest Way to Physick and Chirurgery: […] (The Physitian’s Library), London: […] Peter Cole […], →OCLC, page 31:delicate flavour
[A]mong Chꝛiſten men there haue been now a greate whyle not a fewe, whych haue thought that it is a true faſte, if vpon certaine dayes they abſtayne only from the fleſhe of fowle, and foure footed beaſtes, thoughe in the meane ceaſon they dilitiouſly fede them ſelues with the fleſhe of fiſthes, and other meates much coſtlier, and delicater, than the commune vſe of fleſhe is.
1547 November 9 (Gregorian calendar), Herman [of Wied], anonymous translator, “Of Difference of Meates”, in A Simple, and Religious Consultation of Vs […], [London]: […] I[ohn] D[ay], →OCLC, signature [Ll.vij.], verso:They would give up ideas of gentle living, of soft raiment, and delicate feeding.
1860 January – 1861 April, Anthony Trollope, “Mr. Crawley of Hogglestock”, in Framley Parsonage. […] (Collection of British Authors; 551), copyright edition, volume I, Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, published April 1861, →OCLC, page 213:
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Slight and shapely; lovely; graceful.
Caſ[ſio]. She is a moſt exquiſite Lady. […] Indeede ſhe is a moſt freſh and delicate creature.
c. 1603–1604 (date written), William Shakespeare, The Tragœdy of Othello, the Moore of Venice. […] (First Quarto), London: […] N[icholas] O[kes] for Thomas Walkley, […], published 1622, →OCLC, [Act II, scene iii], page 30, lines 18 and 20–21:
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Light, or softly tinted; said of a colour.
a delicate shade of blue
- Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.
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Highly discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite.
a delicate ear for music
a delicate taste
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Affected by slight causes; showing slight changes.
a delicate thermometer
Forms
| Spelling | Features | Labels | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| delicatest | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| delicater | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic | |
| most delicate | Degree=Sup | lexicographic | |
| more delicate | Degree=Cmp | lexicographic |
Deriveds
overdelicate · semidelicate · hyperdelicate · undelicate · indelicate · delicateness · ultradelicate · superdelicate
Descendants
Relateds
delight · delicacy · delicatessen · delicious · delicately
Synonyms
fragile (easily damaged)
Translations (157)
fi arkaluonteinen (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · he עדין (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · izh herkkä (of weak health, easily sick) · he עדין (of weak health, easily sick) · de zart (light, or softly tinted) · de anspruchsvoll (of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.) · nl fijn (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · de grazil (slight and shapely; lovely; graceful) · cmn 精巧 (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · cmn 斯文 (refined, gentle) · fi tarkka (of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.) · fi tarkka (affected by slight causes) · de empfindsam (highly discriminating or perceptive) · bg деликатен (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · pt delicado (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · de delikat (of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.) · th ละเอียดอ่อน (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · pl delikatny (light, or softly tinted) · de erlesen (pleasing to the senses; refined) · cmn 嬌嫩 /娇嫩 (of weak health, easily sick) · ota نازك (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · de leicht (light, or softly tinted) · fi herkkä (affected by slight causes) · kw denti (of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.) · grc ἁπαλός (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · cmn 精緻 /精致 (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · fi hienostunut (addicted to pleasure) · fi herkkä (light, or softly tinted) · az həssas (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · ota نازك (refined, gentle) · ru делика́тный (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · de wählerisch (of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.) · fi ihastuttava (slight and shapely; lovely; graceful) · nl teer (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · he שביר (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · bg нежен (slight and shapely; lovely; graceful) · de heikel (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · fi herkullinen (pleasing to the senses; refined) · de taktvoll (refined, gentle) · hy նուրբ (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · de zierlich (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · fi hauras (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · cmn 文雅 (refined, gentle) · ru делика́тный (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · eo delikata (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · nl delicaat (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · cmn 微妙 (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · ru изы́сканный (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · ro delicat (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · de feingliedrig (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · fi liikuttunut (unwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol) · cmn 嬌嫩 /娇嫩 (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · nl fijnmazig (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · mi marore (refined, gentle) · cs choulostivý (of weak health, easily sick) · gu નાજુક (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · ota نازك (pleasing to the senses; refined) · de empfindlich (affected by slight causes) · de delikat (pleasing to the senses; refined) · es delicado (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · nl breekbaar (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · mi kōpīpī (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · de empfindlich (intended for use with fragile items) · grc τρυφερός (refined, gentle) · de frohsinnig (addicted to pleasure) · mn нарийн (intended for use with fragile items) · te పెళుసు (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · pl delikatny (refined, gentle) · de anfällig (of weak health, easily sick) · he עדין (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · de empfindlich (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · pl delikatny (intended for use with fragile items) · he עדין (refined, gentle) · de schwächlich (of weak health, easily sick) · de hochempfindlich (affected by slight causes) · mn нарийн (highly discriminating or perceptive) · ca delicat (of weak health, easily sick) · mn нарийн (refined, gentle) · bg нежен (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · ota نازك (slight and shapely; lovely; graceful) · cs choulostivý (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · th บอบบาง (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · cmn 精美 (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · ru не́жный (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · cmn 纖巧 /纤巧 (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · grc ἁβρός (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · mi kopī (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · fi hienorakenteinen (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · fi hienostunut (of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.) · de feinfühlig (refined, gentle) · mn нарийн (pleasing to the senses; refined) · sa कोमल (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · cmn 虛弱 /虚弱 (of weak health, easily sick) · bg чувствителен (highly discriminating or perceptive) · fi herkkä (highly discriminating or perceptive) · th ละเอียด (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · az kövrək (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · de köstlich (pleasing to the senses; refined) · cs rozklepaný (unwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol) · fr délicat (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · bg изтънчен (pleasing to the senses; refined) · de behutsam (refined, gentle) · izh herkkä (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · chr ᏩᏂᎨ (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · sa मृदु (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · la tener (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · de filigran (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · he עדין (slight and shapely; lovely; graceful) · mi whakatarapī (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · fro delicatif (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · pl delikatny (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · ca delicat (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · gl delicado (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · mi mōioio (of weak health, easily sick) · ga leice (of weak health, easily sick) · de wählerisch (highly discriminating or perceptive) · mn нарийн (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · cs jemný (intended for use with fragile items) · ca delicat (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · mi tūoi (of weak health, easily sick) · ru боле́зненный (of weak health, easily sick) · fi hellävarainen (intended for use with fragile items) · de schwierig (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · de ausgesucht (of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.) · pl delikatny (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · de grazil (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · fi ihana (slight and shapely; lovely; graceful) · fi tarkka (highly discriminating or perceptive) · la dēlicātus (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · de zart (slight and shapely; lovely; graceful) · pl wczorajszy (unwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol) · cmn 羸弱 (of weak health, easily sick) · gd fìnealta snasta (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · bg деликатен (slight and shapely; lovely; graceful) · de anmutig (slight and shapely; lovely; graceful) · de feinfühlig (highly discriminating or perceptive) · ru хру́пкий (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · sa तनु (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · el άπλερος (of weak health, easily sick) · pl czuły (affected by slight causes) · bg изтънчен (refined, gentle) · cs jemný (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · pt delicado (refined, gentle) · ru изя́щный (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · ga séimh (light, or softly tinted) · ru разби́тый (unwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol) · nl fragiel (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · bg изтънчен (of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.) · de zart (characterized by a fine structure or thin lines) · ga séimh (refined, gentle) · de erlesen (of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.) · ota نازك (easily damaged or requiring careful handling) · fi hienovarainen (refined, gentle) · fi hienostunut (pleasing to the senses; refined) · de sanft (light, or softly tinted) · fi hienotunteinen (refined, gentle) · de angeschlagen (unwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol)