delicately
gb/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/ us/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
B1
English
óvatosan, gyengéden, tapintatosan, finoman, kecsesen, törékenyen, kényes egyensúlyban
B1
1
Usage pattern:
[do something] delicately; handle/touch [something] delicately
She lifted the sleeping baby delicately so she wouldn’t wake him.
Óvatosan emelte fel az alvó kisbabát, nehogy felébressze.
Remove the foil delicately to avoid tearing the pastry.
Óvatosan vedd le a fóliát, nehogy elszakadjon a tészta.
He touched the bruise delicately and winced.
Learner examples
Please handle the glass delicately.
Kérlek, óvatosan bánj a pohárral.
She held the bird delicately in her hands.
Gyengéden tartotta a madarat a kezében.
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use it where only 'carefully' is meant; 'delicately' often implies fragility or gentleness.
Meaning
gently and with great care
Collocations
handle delicately
|touch delicately
|lift delicately
|place delicately
|pick up delicately
|move delicately
|hold delicately
|remove delicately
|wipe delicately
|set down delicately
Synonyms
gently (Emphasizes softness and light force.)
|
carefully (Emphasizes attention and avoiding mistakes.)
|
gingerly (Emphasizes caution because something may break or hurt.)
Antonyms
roughly (With too much force or without care.)
|
clumsily (Without skill or control.)
Themes
daily_life
|objects
|health
Definition
in a gentle and careful way
In a gentle, careful way that avoids damage, pain, or disturbance.
B2
2
tapintatosan
B2
finoman
A2
Usage pattern:
speak/ask/raise/mention [something] delicately
She tried to bring up the salary issue delicately.
Tapintatosan próbálta felhozni a fizetés kérdését.
He delicately suggested that the plan might need a rethink.
Tapintatosan felvetette, hogy talán újra kellene gondolni a tervet.
The doctor explained the results delicately but clearly.
Learner examples
I spoke delicately about her mistake.
Tapintatosan beszéltem a hibájáról.
He asked delicately about my age.
Tapintatosan rákérdezett az életkoromra.
Common mistake:
Not the same as 'politely' in general; it’s used when the topic is awkward or personal.
Meaning
tactfully about sensitive topics
Collocations
speak delicately
|ask delicately
|raise the issue delicately
|approach it delicately
|mention it delicately
|put it delicately
|handle it delicately
|word it delicately
|suggest delicately
|hint delicately
Synonyms
tactfully (Directly focuses on avoiding offense.)
|
diplomatically (Often used for disagreements or negotiations.)
|
sensitively (Emphasizes awareness of feelings.)
Antonyms
bluntly (In a direct way that may sound rude.)
|
tactlessly (Without sensitivity to others’ feelings.)
Themes
communication
|relationships
|emotions
Definition
in a polite, careful way about something sensitive
In a tactful, sensitive way that avoids offending or upsetting someone.
B2
3
finoman
A2
Usage pattern:
delicately + [flavoured/scented/coloured/patterned/shaded]
The fish was delicately flavoured with lemon and herbs.
A halat finoman ízesítették citrommal és zöldfűszerekkel.
The room was delicately scented with jasmine.
A szobát finom jázminillat lengte be.
The scarf was delicately patterned in pale blue and grey.
Learner examples
The soup is delicately spiced.
A leves finoman fűszerezett.
The candle is delicately scented.
A gyertya finoman illatozik.
Common mistake:
Don’t confuse with 'deliciously' (tasty). 'Delicately' often means subtle, not strong.
Meaning
with a light, subtle quality
Collocations
delicately flavoured
|delicately scented
|delicately perfumed
|delicately spiced
|delicately sweet
|delicately coloured
|delicately patterned
|delicately shaded
|delicately tinted
|delicately lit
Synonyms
subtly (Highlights that the effect is not obvious or strong.)
|
lightly (Often used for flavouring or colouring in small amounts.)
|
faintly (Suggests the quality is barely noticeable.)
Antonyms
strongly (With a powerful taste, smell, or effect.)
|
heavily (With too much added flavour/colour or too intense an effect.)
Themes
food
|art_design
|sensory
Definition
in a light or gentle way (taste, smell, colour)
In a way that is light, fine, or subtle in taste, smell, colour, or appearance.
B2
4
Usage pattern:
move/step/smile/gesture delicately
She stepped delicately across the wet stones.
Kecsesen lépdelt át a nedves köveken.
He smiled delicately and changed the subject.
Finoman elmosolyodott, majd témát váltott.
The ballerina moved delicately, almost floating.
Learner examples
She walked delicately in high heels.
Kecsesen járt magas sarkú cipőben.
He moved delicately like a dancer.
Kecsesen mozgott, akár egy táncos.
Common mistake:
This use is about style and grace, not only about being careful with fragile things.
Meaning
in a graceful, refined way
Collocations
move delicately
|step delicately
|walk delicately
|dance delicately
|smile delicately
|gesture delicately
|rest delicately
|sit delicately
|laugh delicately
|hold delicately
Synonyms
gracefully (More general; not necessarily small or fine.)
|
daintily (Often suggests small, fine, or traditionally feminine grace.)
Antonyms
awkwardly (Without grace or ease.)
|
heavily (With weight or lack of lightness.)
Themes
body_language
|arts
|social_life
Definition
in a graceful, gentle way
In a graceful, refined, or dainty way, especially in movement or expression.
C1
5
Usage pattern:
delicately + [balanced/poised/placed/positioned]; [be] delicately [dependent/structured]
The coalition was delicately held together by a single shared goal.
A koalíciót mindössze egyetlen közös cél tartotta törékeny egységben.
The sculpture was delicately poised on a narrow base.
A szobor kényes egyensúlyban állt egy keskeny talapzaton.
The ecosystem is delicately balanced and vulnerable to small changes.
Learner examples
The plan is delicately balanced.
A terv kényes egyensúlyra épül.
Their agreement is delicately maintained.
Megállapodásukat törékeny egyensúlyban tartják fenn.
Common mistake:
Often used with 'balanced' or 'poised' to show something could easily go wrong.
Meaning
in a fragile, precarious way
Collocations
delicately balanced
|delicately poised
|delicately placed
|delicately positioned
|delicately dependent
|delicately structured
|delicately maintained
|delicately adjusted
|delicately calibrated
|delicately arranged
Synonyms
precariously (Emphasizes danger of failure or collapse.)
|
finely (Emphasizes precise adjustment and small margins.)
Antonyms
securely (Not easily disturbed or endangered.)
|
firmly (Stable and solid, not easily moved or changed.)
Themes
business
|politics
|science
|risk
Definition
in a way that can easily change or fail
In a way that is finely adjusted and easily upset, changed, or harmed.
Grammar
Dictionary form
delicately
IPA
GB/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
US/dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
Syllables & stress
del - ic - ately (3 syllables)
Stress on 1st syllable (del)
Word forms
Noun
- Base: delicately
- Plural: delicatelies
Word family
Expressions
broach (something) delicately
1/bɹˈoʊt͡ʃ sˈʌmθɪŋ dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
fixed phrase
formal
introduce a sensitive topic carefully
start talking about a difficult topic carefully
Examples
- She broached the subject of divorce delicately, waiting for his reaction.
- I tried to broach the issue delicately with my boss.
- The counselor broached the topic delicately to avoid overwhelming her.
Learner examples
- He broached the topic delicately.
- She broached it delicately with her parents.
delicately balanced
1/dˈɛlɪkɪtli bˈælənst/
fixed phrase
unstable but kept in balance
balanced but easy to disturb
Examples
- The peace agreement is delicately balanced and could collapse at any moment.
- The budget is delicately balanced between new spending and tax rises.
- Her health is delicately balanced after the operation.
Learner examples
- Their relationship is delicately balanced.
- The plan is delicately balanced.
handle (something) delicately
1/hˈændəl sˈʌmθɪŋ dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
fixed phrase
deal with something carefully
be very careful with something
Examples
- These files contain personal data, so handle them delicately.
- We need to handle the complaint delicately to keep the customer.
- Please handle the antique vase delicately.
Learner examples
- Handle the glass delicately.
- We must handle this problem delicately.
to put it delicately
1/tə pˈʊt ˈɪt dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
idiom
say something less harshly
used before a polite way of saying something negative
Examples
- To put it delicately, your report needs a lot more work.
- He’s not the easiest person to work with, to put it delicately.
- To put it delicately, the dinner didn’t go as planned.
Learner examples
- To put it delicately, I disagree.
- To put it delicately, it was a bad idea.
tread delicately
1/tɹˈɛd dˈɛlɪkɪtli/
fixed phrase
act carefully in a situation
be careful because the situation is sensitive
Examples
- After the layoffs, managers had to tread delicately with the remaining staff.
- She knew she needed to tread delicately around the topic of money.
- The journalist tread delicately when asking about the scandal.
Learner examples
- I have to tread delicately with this issue.
- We should tread delicately around him today.