 delicate |
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| 1. | [ adjective ] exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury | |
| Examples: | "a delicate violin passage" "delicate china" "a delicate flavor" "the delicate wing of a butterfly" |
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| Related terms: | rugged subtle fragile ethereal dainty pastel tender light-handed half-hardy half-hardy overdelicate weak frail breakable strength | |
| 2. | [ adjective ] marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique | |
| Examples: | "a surgeon's delicate touch" |
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| Related terms: | skilled | |
| 3. | [ adjective ] easily broken or damaged or destroyed | |
| Synonyms: | fragile frail | |
| Examples: | "a kite too delicate to fly safely" "fragile porcelain plates" "fragile old bones" "a frail craft" |
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| Related terms: | breakable | |
| 4. | [ adjective ] developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety | |
| Synonyms: | finespun | |
| Examples: | "the satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense" |
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| Related terms: | refined | |
| 5. | [ adjective ] difficult to handle; requiring great tact | |
| Synonyms: | ticklish | |
| Examples: | "delicate negotiations with the big powers" "hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter" |
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| Related terms: | difficult | |
| 6. | [ adjective ] easily hurt | |
| Synonyms: | soft | |
| Examples: | "soft hands" "a baby's delicate skin" |
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| Related terms: | tender | |
| 7. | [ adjective ] of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely | |
| Examples: | "almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments" |
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| Related terms: | sensitive | |
| Similar spelling: |
delicately delegate delighted delight delightedly |
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