adj.

1. Pleasing to the senses, especially in a subtle way: a delicate flavor; a delicate violin passage.
2. Exquisitely fine or dainty: delicate china.
3. Frail in constitution or health.
4. Easily broken or damaged: a kite too delicate to fly.
5. Marked by sensitivity of discrimination: a critic's delicate perception.
6. 1. Considerate of the feelings of others.
   2. Concerned with propriety.
   3. Squeamish or fastidious.
7. Requiring tactful treatment: a delicate situation.
8. Fine or soft in touch or skill: a surgeon's delicate touch.
9. Measuring, indicating, or responding to very small changes; precise: a delicate set of scales.
10. Very subtle in difference or distinction.

[Middle English delicat and French délicat, both from Latin dēlicātus, pleasing; akin to dēlicia, pleasure. See delicious.]

delicately del'i·cate·ly adv.
delicateness del'i·cate·ness n.

SYNONYMS  delicate, choice, dainty, elegant, exquisite, fine. These adjectives mean appealing to refined taste: a delicate flavor; choice exotic flowers; a dainty dish; elegant handwriting; an exquisite wine; the finest embroidery. See also synonyms at fragile.

adjective

1. Appealing to refined taste: choice, dainty, elegant, exquisite, fine. See good/bad, ingestion.
2. Not physically strong: decrepit, feeble, flimsy, fragile, frail, infirm, insubstantial, puny, unsound, unsubstantial, weak, weakly. See strong/weak.
3. Easily broken or damaged: breakable, brittle, fragile, frangible. See strong/weak.
4. Showing sensitivity and skill in dealing with others: diplomatic, discreet, politic, sensitive, tactful. See ability/inability.
5. Requiring great tact or skill: sensitive, ticklish, touch-and-go, touchy, tricky. See easy/hard.
6. Free from severity or violence, as in movement: balmy, faint, gentle, mild, smooth, soft. See calm/agitation, strong/weak.
7. Able to make or detect effects of great subtlety or precision: fine, nice, subtle. See precise/imprecise.
8. So slight as to be difficult to notice or appreciate: fine, finespun, nice, refined, subtle. See big/small/amount.

adj

Definition: careful, tactful
Antonyms: indelicate, inelegant, insensitive, uncareful, unscrupulous

adj

Definition: dainty, weak
Antonyms: coarse, harsh, heavy, indelicate, inelegant, robust, rough, strong

adj

Definition: fussy, discriminating
Antonyms: imprecise, indelicate, indiscriminating, uncritical

adj

Definition: sickly
Antonyms: healthful, healthy, strong

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IN BRIEF: Very fine in quality; beautifully detailed. Also: easily hurt or spoiled; not strong.

The delicate droop of the petals standing out in relief, is like the eyelid of a child. — Rodin (1840-1917).

Dansk (Danish)
adj. - sart, elegant, subtil, dæmpet, nærtagende, delikat, prekær, følsom, blid, taktfuld, hensynsfuld, skånsom
n. - luksus, delikatesse

Nederlands (Dutch)
verfijnd, teer, netelig, tactvol, (fijn)gevoelig, kieskeurig, lekker, gedempt

Français (French)
adj. - léger, fin, (Méd) fragile, sensible, plein de tact, discret
n. - tissu/textile délicat

Deutsch (German)
adj. - zart, fein, delikat, empfindlich
n. - Delikatesse, Feinwäsche

Ελληνική (Greek)
adj. - λεπτός, αβρός, λεπτεπίλεπτος, εύθραυστος, λεπτοφυής (κν. ντελικάτος), εκλεπτυσμένος, διακριτικός

Italiano (Italian)
delicato

Português (Portuguese)
adj. - delicado

Русский (Russian)
нежный, хрупкий, тонкий, деликатный

Español (Spanish)
adj. - suave, frágil, fino, primoroso, sutil, tenue, delicado, exquisito, voluptuoso, apropiado
n. - delicadeza, fuente de placer

Svenska (Swedish)
adj. - ömtålig, fin, kinkig, delikat

中文（简体） (Chinese (Simplified))
细致优雅的, 美味的, 微妙的, 精美的食物, 奢侈品, 乐事, 奢侈的人

中文（繁體） (Chinese (Traditional))
adj. - 細緻優雅的, 美味的, 微妙的
n. - 精美的食物, 奢侈品, 樂事, 奢侈的人

한국어 (Korean)
adj. - 섬세한, (모습이) 우아한, 부서지기 쉬운
n. - 맛있는 음식

日本語 (Japanese)
adj. - 優美な, 繊細な, 壊れやすい, 微妙な, ひ弱な, ほのかな, 口当たりのいい, 精巧な, 感度のよい, 慎み深い, 難しい, もろい

العربيه (Arabic)
‏(صفه) رقيق, مرهف, شهي, حساس, , هش, عرضه للمرض‏

עברית (Hebrew)
adj. - ‮רגיש, עדין‬
n. - ‮בד דק או בגד העשוי ממנו‬

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lena lius delicate treasure