delicate

[Del·i*cate]

Delicate things, like a flower, a necklace or someone’s feelings are fragile, easily broken and often quite beautiful.

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Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring.

Adjective
exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury; "a delicate violin passage"; "delicate china"; "a delicate flavor"; "the delicate wing of a butterfly"

Adjective S.
easily broken or damaged or destroyed; "a kite too delicate to fly safely"; "fragile porcelain plates"; "fragile old bones"; "a frail craft"

Adjective S.
difficult to handle; requiring great tact; "delicate negotiations with the big powers"; "hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter"

Adjective S.
developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety; "the satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense"

Adjective S.
of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely; "almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments"

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Adjective S.
marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique; "a surgeon''s delicate touch"

Adjective S.
easily hurt; "soft hands"; "a baby''s delicate skin"


a.
Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring.

a.
Pleasing to the senses; refinedly agreeable; hence, adapted to please a nice or cultivated taste; nice; fine; elegant; as, a delicate dish; delicate flavor.

a.
Slight and shapely; lovely; graceful; as, "a delicate creature."

a.
Fine or slender; minute; not coarse; -- said of a thread, or the like; as, delicate cotton.

a.
Slight or smooth; light and yielding; -- said of texture; as, delicate lace or silk.

a.
Soft and fair; -- said of the skin or a surface; as, a delicate cheek; a delicate complexion.

a.
Light, or softly tinted; -- said of a color; as, a delicate blue.

a.
Refined; gentle; scrupulous not to trespass or offend; considerate; -- said of manners, conduct, or feelings; as, delicate behavior; delicate attentions; delicate thoughtfulness.

a.
Tender; not able to endure hardship; feeble; frail; effeminate; -- said of constitution, health, etc.; as, a delicate child; delicate health.

a.
Requiring careful handling; not to be rudely or hastily dealt with; nice; critical; as, a delicate subject or question.

a.
Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.

a.
Nicely discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite; as, a delicate taste; a delicate ear for music.

a.
Affected by slight causes; showing slight changes; as, a delicate thermometer.

n.
A choice dainty; a delicacy.

n.
A delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person.


Delicate

Del"i*cate , a. [L. delicatus pleasing the senses, voluptuous, soft and tender; akin to deliciae delight: cf. F. d'82licat. See Delight.] 1. Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring. [R.]
Dives, for his delicate life, to the devil went.
Haarlem is a very delicate town.
2. Pleasing to the senses; refinedly; hence, adapted to please a nice or cultivated taste; nice; fine; elegant; as, a delicate dish; delicate flavor. 3. Slight and shapely; lovely; graceful; as, "a delicate creature." Shak. 4. Fine or slender; minute; not coarse; -- said of a thread, or the like; as, delicate cotton. 5. Slight or smooth; light and yielding; -- said of texture; as, delicate lace or silk. 6. Soft and fair; -- said of the skin or a surface; as, a delicate cheek; a delicate complexion. 7. Light, or softly tinted; -- said of a color; as; as, a delicate blue. 8. Refined; gentle; scrupulous not to trespass or offend; considerate; -- said of manners, conduct, or feelings; as, delicate behavior; delicate attentions; delicate thoughtfulness. 9. Tender; not able to endure hardship; feeble; frail; effeminate; -- said of constitution, health, etc.; as, a delicate child; delicate health.
A delicate and tender prince.
10. Requiring careful handling; not to be rudely or hastily dealt with; nice; critical; as, a delicate subject or question.
There are some things too delicate and too sacred to be handled rudely without injury to truth.
11. Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious. 12. Nicely discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite; as, a delicate taste; a delicate ear for music. 13. Affected by slight causes; showing slight changes; as, a delicate thermometer.

Delicate

Del"i*cate, n. 1. A choice dainty; a delicacy. [R.]
With abstinence all delicates he sees.
2. A delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person.
All the vessels, then, which our delicates have, -- those I mean that would seem to be more fine in their houses than their neighbors, -- are only of the Corinth metal.

Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring.

A choice dainty; a delicacy.

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Usage Examples

Accuracy is, in every case, advantageous to beauty, and just reasoning to delicate sentiment. In vain would we exalt the one by depreciating the other.

One must learn, if one is to see the beauty in Japan, to like an extraordinarily restrained and delicate loveliness.

The balance between freedom and security is a delicate one.

No matter how popular you are as a stand-up - you can go out and fill a 10,000-seat arena and be smart and funny - it's delicate to host an awards show and know where your place is and know that it's not about you, that it's about the people who are nominated, and respect that, but at the same time have your moment to show them who you are.

I think it's funny to be delicate with subjects that are explosive.

The vote is a trust more delicate than any other, for it involves not just the interests of the voter, but his life, honor and future as well.

Absences are a good influence in love and keep it bright and delicate.

People take the mickey out of mental health, but it is very delicate.

Misspelled Form

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Other Usage Examples

The more you worry, the more you throw off the delicate balance of hormones required for health.

The delicate thing about the university is that it has a mixed character, that it is suspended between its position in the eternal world, with all its corruption and evils and cruelties, and the splendid world of our imagination.

Movies either work or they don't work and they're either funny or they're not and we work very hard. To achieve that kind of work is really kind of delicate stitching.

Cats are rather delicate creatures and they are subject to a good many different ailments, but I have never heard of one who suffered from insomnia.

The antagonisms between men and women express themselves in the most delicate phase of their life together - in their sexual relationship.

One of the beauties of 'The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo' is the very delicate and strange relationship between the two main characters.

The breaking wave and the muscle as it contracts obey the same law. Delicate line gathers the body's total strength in a bold balance. Shall my soul meet so severe a curve, journeying on its way to form?

True strength is delicate.

Acting deals with very delicate emotions. It is not putting up a mask. Each time an actor acts he does not hide he exposes himself.

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