adverb

• 1In a manner displaying fineness of texture or structure and intricate workmanship.

  ‘a silk dress delicately embroidered in gold’

  More example sentences

  • ‘delicately carved wooden sculptures’
  • ‘his book is complex and delicately layered’
  • ‘There were stalls set up all along the boardwalk, people selling delicately crafted jewellery or gorgeously coloured paintings.’
  • ‘Pieces are delicately crafted, with full use made of the wonderful texture and colours ingrained in the wood.’
  • ‘The building's delicately sculpted arches, domes and turrets are brilliantly mirrored in the waters below.’
  • ‘A young woman photographer, much more delicately sketched, snaps a picture in the background.’
  • ‘Her rotund torso and delicately etched facial features evince the monumental simplicity of an ancient fertility goddess.’
  • ‘It was composed of remnants, fragments, collages, woven together delicately with words.’
  • ‘Her detailed works are precisely and delicately rendered in a colorful, flat style worthy of high-quality children's picture books.’
  • ‘Fred Astaire's attire, in his RKO musicals of the 1930s, was always delicately and meticulously designed with performance in mind.’
  • ‘In Sadness, these two threads are delicately and skillfully woven together to create an elegant and intensely moving documentary.’
  • ‘The Gothic palace is a stark monstrosity that is in striking contrast to the delicately chiselled and embellished Palacio Nazaries, the Moorish royal palace.’

  1. 1.1In a pleasantly subtle and subdued manner; lightly.
     ‘delicately scented leaves’
     More example sentences

     • ‘a delicately flavoured tea’
     • ‘delicately tinted wallpaper’
     • ‘The meat was firm, but not tough, and delicately spiced.’
     • ‘Consumers are seeking out specific specialty honeys, from delicately perfumed sage to citrusy orange blossom.’
     • ‘The scent of bougainvillea mingles delicately with the aroma of cannelloni.’
     • ‘The bottom halves of the cookies were imbued with the rhubarb juices and thus softened, while the top halves remained delicately crispy.’
     • ‘The pretty stripes, soft flannels, and delicately shaded plaids are worn for lawn-tennis, croquet and archery suits.’
     • ‘It has a soothing, refreshing, and delicately fruity taste, and is served, very sweet, several times a day all over the Arab world.’
     • ‘It's a soft-smelling, nutty, delicately aromatic beer that tastes similarly light and delicate.’
     • ‘A whole carp steamed or braised with fresh ginger and delicately seasoned with Chinese rice wine will be the third course.’
     • ‘A breaded, delicately seasoned pan-fried grouper fillet brought our attention back to the food.’
     • ‘The spice is light brown in color and has a delicately fragrant aroma and warm, sweet flavor.’

• 2In a very careful or finely judged manner; gently.

  ‘she took the jewel in her hands, holding it delicately’

  More example sentences

  • ‘She took her time to reach me, walking delicately in my direction.’
  • ‘Dawn ate delicately, popping the hot pieces carefully into her mouth.’
  • ‘She had an intricately carved wooden box tucked under her arm that she cradled delicately.’
  • ‘She bit delicately into a cucumber sandwich.’
  • ‘If your nails lack luster, try delicately massaging some oil into them to give them a nice shine.’
  • ‘Our fingers touched delicately.’
  • ‘Mike's hand fluttered delicately up and down her sides.’
  • ‘She wore a yellow satin dress with a white sash tied delicately around her waist.’
  • ‘My eyes were trained on her as she delicately stepped off the curb ran lightly across the street.’
  • ‘They take their glasses delicately by the stems and bring them together in a mock show of etiquette.’

  1. 2.1In a highly sensitive or thoughtful way; tactfully.
     ‘that's a sensitive issue that has to be approached delicately’
     More example sentences

     • ‘both players were handled delicately’
     • ‘The director deals delicately with the issues of abuse; there is no graphic detail.’
     • ‘The situation now is proceeding delicately in view of that assumption.’
     • ‘"Maybe," I conceded delicately, not wanting to be the one to crush her dreams.’
     • ‘He was obliged to hint delicately at the dire news to his invalid and still absent wife.’
     • ‘The girls' love is treated delicately, like any young love affair, and never in an exploitative manner.’
     • ‘Director Miranda Harcourt deals delicately with this script, loaded as it is with double entendres.’
     • ‘Put delicately, this large and disparate family finds it difficult to agree on anything.’
     • ‘"It's not in anyone's best interest to publish these," I said delicately.’
     • ‘"Maybe he doesn't like females," Will said delicately.’
     • ‘The doctor knows he is talking about him, but the men carry on the conversation delicately, referring only to an unnamed "friend."’
  2. 2.2In a way that is easily upset or affected.
     ‘the game was delicately balanced approaching half-time’
     More example sentences

     • ‘The girl seems delicately poised between past and present, youth and eternity, bedlam and meditation.’
     • ‘The same forces pushed both towards a resolution of their delicately balanced positions in favour of business and trade respectively.’
     • ‘With the game delicately poised, it was anybody's in the second half.’
     • ‘He's simultaneously attracted to and repelled by the locale, and the movie seems always balanced delicately between the two.’
     • ‘This will be the team's third challenge, and as ever the outcome will hang delicately in the balance.’
     • ‘The fate of the cricketer, however, is hanging in the balance rather delicately.’