Standard Lemma guide

delicately

adv · 3 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈdɛlɪkətli/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: D EH1 L AH0 K AH0 T L IY0 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

In a delicate manner; exquisitely.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • The gingerbread was delicately, if imprecisely, captured by the brushstrokes.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

adv

Meaning 2

Tactfully.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Examples

  • He approached the main subject delicately.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

adverb

Meaning 3

in a delicate manner

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

Examples

  • finely shaped features
  • her fine drawn body

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: finely, fine, exquisitely

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English delicate Middle English -ly English -ly English delicately From delicate + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

12 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: delicadament — in a delicate manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 優美地 /优美地 (yōuměi de) — in a delicate manner
  • Chinese Mandarin: 精緻地 /精致地 (jīngzhì de) — in a delicate manner
  • Esperanto: delikate — in a delicate manner
  • Finnish: herkästi — in a delicate manner
  • French: délicatement — in a delicate manner
  • Galician: delicadamente — in a delicate manner
  • Ancient Greek: ἁβρῶς (habrôs) — in a delicate manner
  • Italian: delicatamente — in a delicate manner
  • Norman: d'licatement — in a delicate manner
  • Portuguese: delicadamente — in a delicate manner
  • Spanish: delicadamente — in a delicate manner