WordWeb Online

1. Exquisitely fine and subtle and pleasing; susceptible to injury
   "a delicate violin passage"; "delicate china"; "a delicate flavour"; "the delicate wing of a butterfly"
    
2. Easily broken or damaged or destroyed
   "a kite too delicate to fly safely"
   - fragile, frail
    
3. Marked by great skill especially in meticulous technique
   "a surgeon's delicate touch"
    
4. Easily hurt
   "a baby's delicate skin"
   - soft
    
5. Developed with extreme delicacy and subtlety
   - finespun
    
6. Difficult to handle; requiring great tact
   "delicate negotiations with the big powers"
   - ticklish, touchy
    
7. Of an instrument or device; capable of registering minute differences or changes precisely
   "almost undetectable with even the most delicate instruments"

See also: breakable, dainty, delicately, difficult, ethereal, exquisite, fragile, frail, gossamer, hard, light-handed, overdelicate, pastel, refined, sensitive, skilled, strength, tender, untoughened, weak

Antonym: rugged

Encyclopedia: Delicate