delicate | Definition of delicate

1 satisfying or pleasing because of fineness or mildness

a heavy sauce would spoil the delicate flavor of this fish

Synonyms of delicate

airy, dainty, exquisite, nuanced, refined, subtle

Words Related to delicate

choice, elegant, extraordinary, incomparable, peerless, preeminent, prime, rare, select, superior, superlative, supreme, transcendent, unsurpassed

picked, selected

fine, fragile, frail

Near Antonyms of delicate

coarse, crude, rough

common, ordinary

average, fair, indifferent, mediocre, medium, middling, run-of-the-mill, second-rate

Antonyms of delicate

robust, strong, sturdy

2 able to sense slight impressions or differences

only a person with delicate taste buds could tell the difference between these two wines

Synonyms of delicate

acute, fine, keen, perceptive, quick, sensitive, sharp

Words Related to delicate

accurate, clear, discerning, good, piercing, precise, receptive, sensible, subtle

hair-trigger, hyperacute, hypersensitive, oversensitive, supersensitive

Near Antonyms of delicate

bad, deadened, dimmed, dull, dulled, fading

dead, imperceptive, insensible, insensitive, numb

imprecise, inaccurate

3 accomplished with trained ability

the delicate handling of a difficult diplomatic situation

Synonyms of delicate

adroit, artful, bravura, deft, dexterous (also dextrous), expert, masterful, masterly, practiced (also practised), skillful, virtuoso, workmanlike

Words Related to delicate

facile, smooth

artistic, creative, fancy, ingenious, neat

adept, clever, cunning

able, adequate, capable, competent

Near Antonyms of delicate

awkward, clumsy, crude, klutzy

ineffective, ineffectual

incompetent, inept

Antonyms of delicate

amateur, amateurish, artless, rude, unprofessional, unskillful

4 easily broken

delicate glassware that must be carefully wrapped for shipping

Synonyms of delicate

breakable, fragile, frail, frangible

Words Related to delicate

dainty, fine, gossamer

eggshell, flimsy, slight, tenuous

brittle, crisp, crispy, crumbly, crushable, embrittled, flaky (also flakey), friable, shaky, shivery, short

feeble, infirm, soft, spindly, tender, weak

inelastic, inflexible, stiff

Near Antonyms of delicate

compact, firm, hard, rigid, solid, substantial

Synonyms and Antonyms of delicate

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