Meanings
comparative more indelicate · superlative most indelicate
- Improper or immodest.
As late as the 1950s and early 1960s, when "funk" and "funky" were used increasingly in the context of jazz music, the terms still were considered indelicate and inappropriate for use in polite company.
2023 July 14, Wikipedia contributors, “Funk”, in English Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation - Tactless or undiplomatic.
Schuetz acknowledges that he knew about the Dale Barbre murder investigation as it was reported in GCN. Yet the Barbre murder saga provided only the skeleton — if I may be forgiven the indelicate word choice — for the story they concoct.
1980 December 13, Mitzel, “Dale Barbre's Murder Transformed”, in Gay Community News, volume 8, number 21, page 12
Synonyms & antonyms
adjectivein violation of good taste even verging on the indecent
adjectivelacking propriety and good taste in manners and conduct
adjectiveverging on the indecent
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Proto-Indo-European*né
- Proto-Indo-European*n̥-
- Proto-Italic*n̥-
- Latinin-
- Middle Englishin-
- Englishin-
- Englishdelicate
- Englishindelicate
Translations
Bulgarian нетактичен
- нетактичен (netaktičen)Tactless or undiplomatic
Esperanto triviala
- trivialaTactless or undiplomatic
Hungarian tapintatlan
- tapintatlanTactless or undiplomatic
Rhymes & wordplay
Anagrams
Cite this entry
indelicate. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indelicate
“indelicate.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indelicate. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “indelicate,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/indelicate.
Source: indelicate on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.