delicate

noun

A delicate item of clothing, especially underwear or lingerie.

A moth of the species Mythimna vitellina.

(obsolete) A choice dainty; a delicacy.

(obsolete) A delicate, luxurious, or effeminate person.

adjective

Easily damaged or requiring careful handling.

Characterized by a fine structure or thin lines.

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

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

Slight and shapely; lovely; graceful.

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

Intended for use with fragile items.

Highly discriminating or perceptive; refinedly critical; sensitive; exquisite.

Of exacting tastes and habits; dainty; fastidious.

Light, or softly tinted; said of a colour.

(informal) Unwell, especially because of having drunk too much alcohol.

Affected by slight causes; showing slight changes.

(obsolete) Addicted to pleasure; luxurious; voluptuous; alluring.

Roots

delicatusdelicat- · Latin · alluring, dainty, tender -atus-e · Latin · adjective ending

Synonyms for delicate

fragileadj finespunadj touchyadj frailadj softadj ticklishadj daintyadj sensitiveadj intricateadj exquisiteadj subtleadj gentleadj subtile gracefuladj tendern brittleadj tenuousadj breakablen trickyadj

Synonyms & related words for delicate

Find synonyms, related words, and the definition of delicate — including fragile, finespun, touchy, frail, soft, ticklish. Dendril is a free visual thesaurus that shows them on an interactive map where stronger matches sit closer to the center — no signup, no ads.

Words related to delicate

Explore words related to delicate — words associated with it, words that go with it, and its nearest matches in meaning. Related words include delicately, delicateness, fragilely, supersubtle, delicacy, kickshaw, exquisitely, oversubtle. Click any word to make it the center of the map and keep exploring the web of connections.

Synonyms for delicate

Common synonyms for delicate include fragile, finespun, touchy, frail, soft, ticklish, dainty, sensitive — words that share a close meaning. Hover or tap any word on the map for its definition and part of speech.

Where does delicate come from?

The word delicate breaks down into 2 roots of Latin origin: delicat, from Latin delicatus (“alluring, dainty, tender”); and -e, from Latin -atus (“adjective ending”). Explore each root to see other English words built from the same source.