English adjective: delicate | |||
1. | delicate exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury | ||
Samples | A delicate violin passage. Delicate china. A delicate flavor. The delicate wing of a butterfly. | ||
Similar | dainty, ethereal, exquisite, fragile, gossamer, light-handed, overdelicate, pastel, tender | ||
See also | breakable, frail, weak | ||
Attribute | strength | ||
Antonyms | rugged | ||
2. | delicate marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique | ||
Samples | A surgeon's delicate touch. | ||
Similar | skilled | ||
Antonyms | unskilled | ||
3. | delicate easily broken or damaged or destroyed | ||
Samples | A kite too delicate to fly safely. Fragile porcelain plates. Fragile old bones. A frail craft. | ||
Synonyms | fragile, frail | ||
Similar | breakable | ||
Antonyms | unbreakable | ||
4. | delicate easily hurt | ||
Samples | Soft hands. A baby's delicate skin. | ||
Synonyms | soft | ||
Similar | tender, untoughened | ||
Antonyms | toughened, tough | ||
5. | delicate developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety | ||
Samples | The satire touches with finespun ridicule every kind of human pretense. | ||
Synonyms | finespun | ||
Similar | refined | ||
Antonyms | unrefined | ||
6. | delicate difficult to handle; requiring great tact | ||
Samples | Delicate negotiations with the big powers. Hesitates to be explicit on so ticklish a matter. A touchy subject. | ||
Synonyms | ticklish, touchy | ||
Similar | difficult, hard | ||
Antonyms | easy | ||
7. | delicate of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely | ||
Samples | Almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments. | ||
Similar | sensitive | ||
Antonyms | insensitive | ||