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Synonym Chooser

How is the word delicate different from other adjectives like it?

Some common synonyms of delicate are choice, dainty, elegant, exquisite, and rare. While all these words mean "having qualities that appeal to a cultivated taste," delicate implies exquisiteness, subtlety, and fragility.

delicate craftsmanship

Where would choice be a reasonable alternative to delicate?

The words choice and delicate are synonyms, but do differ in nuance. Specifically, choice stresses preeminence in quality or kind.

choice fabric

In what contexts can dainty take the place of delicate?

While the synonyms dainty and delicate are close in meaning, dainty sometimes carries an additional suggestion of smallness and of appeal to the eye or palate.

dainty sandwiches

When can elegant be used instead of delicate?

Although the words elegant and delicate have much in common, elegant applies to what is rich and luxurious but restrained by good taste.

a sumptuous but elegant dining room

When is it sensible to use exquisite instead of delicate?

The synonyms exquisite and delicate are sometimes interchangeable, but exquisite implies a perfection in workmanship or design that appeals only to very sensitive taste.

an exquisite gold bracelet

When could rare be used to replace delicate?

The meanings of rare and delicate largely overlap; however, rare suggests an uncommon excellence.

rare beauty

Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of delicate Beware, this gauze is a tad delicate, as Alpert learned the hard way after her cat caused a few snags from their untrimmed claws. Nashia Baker, Architectural Digest, 6 June 2025 While some have been effective at brightening and firming my delicate under-eye skin and reducing puffiness, no eye cream has worked with as much efficiency as the Revitalite Eyelid & Dark Circle Corrector from Dermelect. Rachel Trujillo, People.com, 6 June 2025 Gi-seok had been caught up in the delicate web of power and deceit that holds Seoul’s two major gangs—the Juwoon Group and the Bongsan Group—in place. Kayti Burt, Time, 6 June 2025 Her feet dangle, then land with a thud on the delicate rug hugging the side of her bed. Lovia Gyarkye, HollywoodReporter, 6 June 2025 See All Example Sentences for delicate
Recent Examples of Synonyms for delicate
Adjective
  • Your new album, Faith, is a lot subtler than your debut, Signs.
    Philip Sherburne, Pitchfork, 6 June 2025
  • The family secrets were subtle but pervasive, reverberating not just through this nuclear family, but also across generations.
    Susan Walter June 6, Literary Hub, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • Amino acids are more easily absorbed than proteins and do not damage the intestinal environment, which means even those with sensitive digestions can take them.
    MISAKI KAWATSU, Vogue, 10 June 2025
  • This principle, applied across all workloads, is instrumental for reducing the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive data.
    Ben Blanquera, Forbes.com, 10 June 2025
Adjective
  • Their batting line-up appeared particularly fragile.
    Tristan Lavalette, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
  • When Klarna struck a partnership deal with food delivery group DoorDash in March, journalists seized on the notion of consumers paying for pizzas in installments as evidence of BNPL lenders tempting customers to overextend in a fragile economy.
    Andrew Edgecliffe-Johnson, semafor.com, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • Watch out for slippery roads: Be extra careful during the first half hour after rain begins.
    Bay Area Weather Report, Mercury News, 7 June 2025
  • But as the Trump administration has rolled out immigration policies targeting Venezuelans, Haitians and Cubans, GOP officials in Miami have had to draw a careful balance between supporting the White House and the many immigrants in their district affected by Trump’s immigration agenda.
    Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • The newest model continues to fuse advanced materials with Japanese craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology to create a timepiece that is durable, precise and elegant.
    Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 6 June 2025
  • And Just Like That… is, for lack of a more elegant term, so goddamn weird this season.
    Emma Bocchi, Vogue, 6 June 2025
Adjective
  • In sum, there is a weak case, at best, for some kind of standardization of non-financial KPIs.
    Shivaram Rajgopal, Forbes.com, 14 June 2025
  • But many Tea Party nominees proved to be weak general election candidates when running for Senate, delaying Republican control of the upper chamber until 2014.
    W. James Antle III, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2025
Adjective
  • That this wrap-up happens on the stoop of an apartment building provides a nice callback to Past Lives.
    David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 9 June 2025
  • Reyes was a nice spring training story, but the Yankees were fooled by meaningless February and March stats.
    Chris Kirschner, New York Times, 8 June 2025
Adjective
  • Amazon Prime Video’s newest NASCAR stat incorporates tens of thousands of incoming data points in real time, using machine learning over the course of a race for more accurate outputs.
    Jacob Feldman, Sportico.com, 7 June 2025
  • Prices were accurate at the time of publication but may change.
    Maryal Miller Carter, USA Today, 7 June 2025

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Cite this Entry

“Delicate.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/delicate. Accessed 18 Jun. 2025.

More from Merriam-Webster on delicate

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