delicate

comparative more delicate · comparative delicater · superlative most delicate · superlative delicatest

1. Easily damaged or requiring careful handling.

   The negotiations were very delicate.

   4 more examples

   Those clothes are made from delicate lace.

   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

   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

   Synonyms: fragile

2. Characterized by a fine structure or thin lines.

   Her face was delicate.

   3 more examples

   The spider wove a delicate web.

   There was a delicate pattern of frost on the window.

   You crush a delicate moth wing I see the stain on your fingertips

   2021, “Silk in the Strings”, performed by Spiritbox

3. Intended for use with fragile items.

   Set the washing machine to the delicate cycle.

4. Refined; gentle; scrupulous not to trespass or offend; considerate; said of manners, conduct, or feelings.

   delicate behaviour

   3 more examples

   delicate attentions

   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

5. Of weak health; easily sick; unable to endure hardship.

   delicate health

   2 more examples

   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

6. informalUnwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol.

   Please don't speak so loudly: I'm feeling a bit delicate this morning.

7. obsoleteAddicted 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

8. Pleasing to the senses; refined; adapted to please an elegant or cultivated taste.

   a delicate dish

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   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

   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

   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

9. 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

10. Light, or softly tinted; said of a colour.

    a delicate shade of blue

11. Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.
12. Highly discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite.

    a delicate taste

    1 more example

    a delicate ear for music

13. Affected by slight causes; showing slight changes.

    a delicate thermometer

plural delicates

1. A delicate item of clothing, especially underwear or lingerie.

   Don't put that in with your jeans: it's a delicate!

2. obsoleteA choice dainty; a delicacy.

   With Abstinence all Delicates he Sees, / And can regale himself with Toast and Cheese.

   1712, William King, The Art of Cookery, in Imitation of Horace's Art of Poetry

3. obsoleteA delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person.

   If Lucullus were not a waster and a delicate given to belly-cheare.

   1603, Plutarch, translated by Philemon Holland, The Philosophie, Commonlie Called, The Morals […], London: […] Arnold Hatfield, →OCLC

   1 more example

   A council of war was called, and the delicates met in the great cabin ; the platform was rigged up on the forecastle, the yard-rope rove, and the signal made for all boats to attend execution

   1830, “The Barge's Crew”, in The Log Book; Or, Nautical Miscellany, page 341

4. A moth of the species Mythimna vitellina.